


Beneath The Traveler's Shadow

by MagicianX26



Category: Destiny (Video Games), 明日方舟 | Arknights (Video Game)
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Fantasy, Military, Politics, Science Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:00:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 64,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24538879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicianX26/pseuds/MagicianX26
Summary: The Doctor, on the brink of death, is given a second chance by a Ghost of the Traveller. With a body of a demigod and a mind free of memories, will he be able to continue to shape a better future for the people that gather under Rhodes' banner?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. Prologue

So I thought I would try this for a bit. The world of Destiny intrigues me a lot, but it's often forgotten that between all the world-destroying threats, there are still the little stories that fall between those gaps. So let me just transplant something over...

* * *

_"- Stand by for DECISION POINT:  
_ _If available ISR and WARWATCH indicates imminent [O] departure  
_ _then [O] departure compromises human/human-descendant survival and epoch strategy  
_

_\- Stand by for ABHORRENT IMPERATIVE:  
_ _Activate LOKI CROWN Perform deniable authorization: full caedometric and noetic release Prevent [O] departure by any means available_

 _\- Stand by for effect assessment criteria:  
_ _Coerce pseudoaltruistic [O] defensive action. Defer civilization kill."_

  
\- Excerpt from unknown transmission within the Warmind Network, pre-Collapse

=| Prologue |=

**Old Russia Sector**  
**Mobile City Chernobog, Ursus Empire**

The man had been on the edge of life and death, surviving despite his captor's many machinations, but today was the day he would take his last breath.

Soulworker had been watching him for the past month, ever since the Ursus Royal Guard had hauled him up and dumped him onto their experiment table, before doing all sort of unimaginable things to him. The many drugs they used on him, followed with the vicious implantation of Originum-based catalysts, before asking Soulworker to inject pulses of Light into him.

It didn't work, of course. They wanted a weapon, but their pitiful understanding of the powers-that-be was even lower than that of the Last City, and even the warriors that held court there barely had any idea themselves. So the man suffered so much before they simply gave up and left him to rot.

And so the facility was reduced to that of the skeleton staff, the wretched soul choking upon his accelerated Oripathy, and Soulworker himself.

That said, Soulworker did admire the man's tenacity. Which was not surprising, considering who he was and what he did.

But now.

Soulworker slipped between the sealed cracks of the window, peering over the city of Chernobog.

Already, the fires had started. Hundreds of white-masked figures were on the streets, rioting and smashing their way through the city. The local police forces of the Ursus Empire were trying to retain some sort of control, but even from his tiny view of the carnage, Soulworker could see that the madness had already gripped the entire city, and those efforts were already fruitless. The great mobile tracks that move the massive construct from place to place was silent, while massive black storm clouds were gathering more and more from the east.

_...and how coincidental that this would happen just as the massive storm was about to fall on the city, huh?_

Soulworker spent the brief moment considering how such a spate of events would happen, but almost immediately changed his mind. None of the events in Chernobog was his concern, save whatever payment the Ursus government had for him. Just as the Guardians of the Last City had chosen to exclude themselves from the politics and machinations of the remaining human/human-descendant polities of Earth. Besides, he had gotten his payment, and now that the Catastrophe was about to fall on Chernobog, it was time for him to make himself scarce.

Spinning his shell, Soulworker disappeared back into the abandoned complex, searching for what other fragments of information or artefacts he could scavenge from the complex. The skeleton staff themselves had fled as well, possibly because of the chaos in the city. Oh well, it simply just made his rampant larceny of government assets easier.

Just as he was plugging himself into a server mainframe, Soulworker heard footsteps from the lower levels. Slipping through the ventilation vents, the Ghost found multiple figures gathered around the sealed entrances to the complex, waiting as one of them was trying to break it open.

_Oh?_

Soulworker studied their uniforms. There was an attempt to conceal their origins, but Ghosts had their ways. Beneath the tactical coats, Soulworker could see the emblem of a rook within a triangle.

_How curious, another third party. Or..._

Soulworker disappeared back into the vents, flying to the prisoner. He had begun choking, the black Originum crystal growths having grown rapidly as he neared his reckoning. Soulworker checked his records again, and...

_Ahhhh, I see. Your friends._

The man choked and spat. Brackish blood shot out of his mouth, staining the already fouled walls of the cell even further.

_You don't look like you are going to last until they reach here, though. The crystal is already claiming you. And even then...I don't think the chances of you surviving the rescue are going to be high, though._

The prisoner's eyes opened, fixing the Ghost with a single eye. He stared at Soulworker with a certain determination.

"Still trying to deny the inevitable, Doctor?" Soulworker finally spoke. "Then again, I would expect nothing less from a man like you."

The man said nothing but continued fixing his gaze on the Ghost. "Are you just...going to stand there and watch?"

Soulworker tilted to the side, imitating a person looking askance at the prisoner. "I have seen many men over the centuries since the Collapse. Some I've watched die. Some I've _let_ die. Other than the supreme tragedy that you are expiring on the cusp of rescue, you aren't much different."

The man choked up a sarcastic laugh, more of the brackish blood leaking from his mouth. "Why not spare some of that forsaken Light to let me live a little longer, then. Certainly, you must have a lot of it, seeing that I see no Guardian in this place."

"Perhaps, but I highly doubt the medical wizardry of Rhodes is going to save someone's who's Oripathy is this advanced while they are in such a brutalized state. No offence to you, but you are effectively a lost cause." Souldancer simply said, matter-of-factly.

The prisoner sighed - and immediately pushed against the wall, attempting to prop himself up. Just as he managed to lift his mangled body several centimetres off the floor, his feet slipped on the pool of his blood and piss, The prisoner fell back onto the floor with a sickening crunch of crystal and bone, but undeterred, he began trying to push himself up with a dull groan.

Soulworker watched him, spinning his shell a few times. As the prisoner fell back onto the floor for the third time, he finally asked, "What is it...that drives you so?"

"My job-" * _hack*_ "- isn't done yet, Ghost." The voice of the man had lowered to a quiet snarl.

"Surely there are plenty of people willing to continue your work, your legacy."

"You might be right, but-" the man paused for a second, thinking his answer, "-but I still haven't finished what I have to do, what I need to do. So it means my job isn't complete. There are-" * _hack_ * "-are still people waiting for me back there. Besides, if what you say is correct..." The man finally resorted to crawling, slowly making his way towards the door of the cell. "Then it means that Amiya, or that Kal'stit still thinks I'm useful of service to them. So...I am not giving up on this chance. Not. Yet."

As the man painted a dark trail on his pained struggle towards the cell door, Souldancer hovered and thought, many images flashing through his mind as he watched.

_Bravery. Sacrifice. Death._

As the man reached the door and began trying to force it open, Souldancer finally spoke. "Well, there is one final option."

"Which...is...?"

"To accept becoming the most wretched thing in the universe. A Guardian."

The man stopped. "Oh?"

"You won't remember anything, and you will become an immortal being destined to never die, in eternal service to the Light. Perhaps your compatriots will reject you, perhaps they will accept your reborn self. But...well, you said you still have things to do in this world, so what am I to say? The choice is yours." Soulworker said, betraying little emotion.

"An interesting thing to come out of the Traveller's little servants."

"I am centuries old. I have seen things. I care little for anything than doing what is requested of me. Better make your choice quickly, because your lifespan is literally measurable by seconds at this point."

The man turned over, his face illuminated by the dim light of the cell. For a few moments, he thought through it, before finally answering. "Do it," He finally answered, staring straight at the Ghost.

"Thus, servant to the children of man, forsaken by the world..." Souldancer's shell expanded, and a bright light began to shine around his core, cosmic energies swirling within him as he began a ritual. The man closed his eyes, taking the last few breaths of his current life.

"...Die, and be reborn in the Traveller's Light." As the Light gathered around him, Soulworker whispered words, words that seemed like an eternity since they had last been spoken.

A bright flash filled the room, shining brighter than the surface of the Sun.

==| **Beneath the Traveller's Shadow** |==

=| A Destiny/Arknights Fusion |=


	2. Chapter 1 - 1

_"Originum, as it is formally known, is a vital mineral exploited by the Terran States for many purposes, including power generation, material sciences, and the mysterious non-Light derived powers known as 'Originum Arts'. Its history is murky as few pre-Collapse records of its existence remain, but it is estimated that its discovery and large-scale usage began approximately a century before the start of the City Age, with slow and steady progress made as a unique technological field over the years. The Last City does not make much use of it as we have been utilising pre-Collapse technologies as a base for our own and hence never saw a need for its study - but with our increasing relations with the Terrans I daresay we should begin a large scale effort to research this mineral. It is after all unique, with its undefined place on the Periodic Table and its many uses in various fields..._

_"...The main downsides are its tendency to spread - as via the so-called 'Catastrophe' aerial phenomenon - as well as the debilitating disease known as Oripathy that occurs when it manages to enter a person's bloodstream. Recent years, due to massive leaps in use of Originum based technologies, have seen a large explosion in the population of Oripathy-inflicted, known to the Terrans as the 'Infected'. The Consensus has been offering aid to some of the States regarding this, including the radical move of extending the use of Arc Energy reactors to replace their Originum-based Reactors, but due to several logistical and political issues such attempts have stalled..."_

_-_ Excerpt from a lecture conducted by Gensym Scribe Severas Luden, _"A Primer on Minor Human/Human-Descendant Factions of the Solar System"_

==| Chapter 1-1 |==

"So, please go through all this again for me, just so I've got it right..."

Amiya, Rhodes Island's young executive, was looking straight at the Doctor, as they cowered in the shadow of an abandoned building, surrounded by the rescue team who were guarding the various ingress points into the structure.

The situation was painfully unstable. The original extraction plan was supposed to be a rapid retreat dodging the Ursus authorities, but the entire escape route had been compromised by the riots, and the reserve teams near the evacuation were trying to relocate and find a new route to follow, forcing Amiya's team to wait as their compatriots attempted to figure their way around the chaos. To make matters worse, the mobile city had somehow failed to follow its original movement plan, meaning that the heavy storm of the Catastrophe was just about to hit it full force. And finally, their rescue target had been changed...

The object of that last complication popped back into existence, turning to a stern woman with canine ears that held a whip. The Ghost, 'Soulworker' as he called himself, made a report, "Looks like there are ways to your next assembly point that aren't full of Reunion. Not going to lie, it will be difficult." As he uploaded the fresh data, Amiya's neural link acknowledged it and added it over the current map of Chernobog stored within her personal command interface. Amiya skimmed through it briefly, before turning back to the Doctor.

"Originum is a vital mineral used by most nations, but exposure to it causes Oripathy, a disease that can result in death." The Doctor recounted. "So we, Rhodes Island, have taken up the task of trying to heal the sufferers of Oripathy."

"That's right." Amiya said.

"And I'm of vital importance because I was - am - an important leader in your organization."

Amiya nodded again, the rabbit-esque ears on her head flapping.

"Right." The Doctor got up, pulling the silvery-black cloak that Soulworker had transmatted for him around him tighter. "Then...I will do my best. Allow me to assist all of you to the best of my ability."

Amiya's shoulders slumped in relief. Ever since they had evacuated him out of the facility, she had been worried sick when the Ghost revealed himself, afraid that the person that wore her mentor's face was a completely different person. But at least...with her questions, and his attitude, he seemed more like the person that had been taken from her. It wasn't enough to alleviate her fears completely...but for now, that was enough.

The young woman took a deep breath, before returning to reality, remembering the city that was about to fall apart around her - and her men. "Instructor."

A stern, canine-eared woman walked towards them, dressed in fatigues of the darkest black. "Yes?"

"What is the status on the extraction?"

"We've just confirmed that the routes pointed out by Soulworker are indeed clear - for the moment," Instructor Dobermann - the main combat trainer for Rhodes Island's combat teams, and acting supervising officer for the operation - folded her arms, eyes darting between Amiya and the Doctor. "The Reserve Teams have managed to find new overwatch positions, so we can begin as soon as possible."

Amiya nodded. "Ok. Then lets continue."

"Understood." Dobermann turned around, sending a neural message to the rest of the escort team. With coordinated speed, they gathered around their charge and immediately began moving towards a nearby alley. An Oni woman wielding a hybridized katana - Yato, the team leader - acted as rear guard, while point was taken by Noir Corme, a male Oni armed with a heavy ballistic shield. The rest of the squad gathered around Amiya and the Doctor, acting as human shields.

They made swift progress - quickly sprinting through the well-planned, grid-like pattern of Chernobog's streets while managing to avoid most of the fighting. Already, most of the city seemed to be lit up more by fires instead of the street lights, and the fighting had escalated to numerous scattered clashes between Reunion's rioters and the many dispersed squads of the local police. The sole benefit was that everyone was too caught up in the carnage to notice the small group of outsiders.

Amiya didn't know what to think of the Ghost - the mysterious little envoy of the Traveller, the both worshipped and maligned entity that hovered over the Earth - or the Guardians who they served, immortal protectors of Earth, the humans and the Terrans. It was rare to see a Guardian who flaunted their status outside of the Last City, and whoever was confirmed to be a Guardian would often be gone as quickly as they appeared. Soulworker seemed nice enough - as seen by how he used his evasiveness to scout out the city in front of them, keeping them away from the fighting going on.

As they ducked into an alleyway, a thought hit Amiya. _Does that mean that Doctor has to leave Rhodes to join the Guardians-_

She didn't have the time to fully realize the question. The rescue team rounded a corner and was about to cross a street under the cover of two office buildings, when suddenly Noir Corne held up a hand, flattening himself against a wall, causing everyone to follow suit.

"Er, Ma'am? Come see this." Noir hissed through his respirator, causing Dobermann and Amiya to join him.

Dobermann slid up to him, peeking around the corner like he was doing. A squad of Reunion, wielding a series of crude metal implements, had just run onto the middle of the street, looking out for something. However, no sign of the Ursus military could be seen, and the Reunion squad began to pace around the road anxiously.

"I don't think we are going to get past this bunch without being seen," Noir said, adjusting his mask.

Dobermann narrowed her eyes. "If you ask me, it looks like they were here waiting for us. Doctor?"

"Yes?" The man joined her at the front, while Noir retreated to give him space.

"Did Soulworker see any drones pursuing us?"

_"There were drones flying around the area,"_ The Ghost cut into the transmission, startling a few of the smaller team members. _"But their IFF is unreliable - it looks like Reunion has managed to hijack a few Ursus equipment caches ahead of schedule. Very fishy. The chance that you might have been seen by one of them is high._ "

"But why go after fellow Infected, especially us?" Amiya asked. Deep down, she pitied the Reunion members, as from what little she had read, they had been treated cruelly by the Ursus authorities and their fellow citizens ever since Oripathy had existed. But watching their anger and hatred consume the city, she feared her own men and people would be caught up as well. "They...shouldn't have anything against us, right?"

_"Who knows?"_ Soulworker made a sound similar to a snort. _"I just saw them smashing up an underground Oripathy clinic. When a mob is riled up enough, nothing's going to stop them, even allegiances."_

"This particular mob doesn't seem all that chaotic to me," Dobermann noted, her instinct flaring. "In fact, for all their seemingly chaotic actions in Chernobog, Reunion managed to overcome the entire military apparatus of Ursus. Something's not right-"

A shout came from behind them, accompanied by the rising staccato of running feet. Right from where they had come, a large group of white-masked figures were heading straight towards them.

"Shit!" Dobermann cursed. "Were they trying to corner us this whole time?"

"Is there anyway we can tell them to back off? Or that we are friendly?" Amiya asked, "This could just be a misunderstanding!"

_"I can see several armed drones heading here as well,"_ Soulworker warned. _"Several groups of Reunion just broke off from a few engagements as well!"_

The footsteps and shouting grew louder in intensity as the raging mob got closer.

"Instructor." The Doctor faced her with a serious look. "What's our current status of relations with Reunion? Is there any way we can convince them to back off?"

"None," Dobermann answered firmly, keeping an eye on the approaching mob. "Even if we had communications with the Ark, we never had any existing encounters with Reunion before. But standing orders is - was - to avoid direct contact with them to avoid antagonizing them. We aren't in a position where we can fight them, speaking frankly. And exposing ourselves to direct combat will reveal ourselves to the Ursus authorities while looking poorly to other Infected."

"I see." The Doctor pondered for a moment. "Am I allowed to issue orders?"

"Considering you seem fine despite the memory loss..." Dobermann sneaked a look at Amiya, who gave a hesitant nod. "...but since Amiya is the commanding officer for this operation, she makes the final decision."

The Reunion mob was fully visible now, barely around one hundred meters away, and some of the Operators had begun raising crossbows and staffs in preparation.

"Understood," The Doctor quickly turned to Amiya. "I'm suggesting that we start preemptively hitting the Reunion positions, including the one ahead of us, to force them back and keep the route back clear. I know this move will have consequences for us after this operation...but for some reason Reunion wants a fight, seeing how they are so converging on our position. I'm sorry, but I don't see another...alternative."

Amiya looked at Dobermann, but the Instructor had already pulled out her whip, nodding silently in approval. "I agree to this," Amiya simply said in response.

"Alright." Dobermann turned around, snapping out orders. "Rangers, mark any approaching drones and keep them off our backs. 12F, get ready to drop an explosion on the Reunion group ahead of us. The rest of you, make a dash for it on my signal."

Two men with lizard-like faces turned at the order - one pulling out a tablet and a wand, the other drawing a large compound bow and nocking an arrow.

_"_ Three, two one... _Go!_ "


	3. Chapter 1 - 2

_SECTION 2a: Technology of the Terran State Militaries_

_...A common theme within the various self-identified states is that despite having technological capabilities roughly equivalent to the pre-Collapse Information Age, they do not necessarily make widespread use of gun-based small arms. In fact, while high calibre ballistic technology is common (defensive emplacements or mortar-based artillery), most Terrans make use of melee-based weaponry or use combat bows and crossbows. Upon observations of various militaries, this agent has generalized the reasons for as such:_

_1\. Lack of technological/industrial knowledge: Currently, the bulk of non-City firearms technology is monopolized by the Laterano State, with many restrictions on their use. Contrary to what some Guardians may think, the development of weaponry is a major field that requires massive amounts of research and development to get working, and it seems that most Terran States are either willing to deal with Laterano having its monopoly, or the Terran States are attempting behind-the-scenes development in firearms with limited success._

_2\. Lack of ammunition: Similarly, ammunition is difficult to procure. Originum's prevalence in the Terran States have made it popular as an explosive reagent, but its use requires incredibly careful handling, hence restricting its use in firearms not as the propellant but as the payload, while gunpowder based munitions are generally considered insufficient against body armour technology of the Terran States (more on this below) and also as annoying to maintain given the Mobile City setup of most nations. Meanwhile, direct energy weapons, especially those based on Arc/Solar/Void energy are too high a technological barrier to overcome._

_3\. Lack of damage: Originum usage in the Terran States have resulted in lightweight, highly bulletproof body armour being used by the Terran States (see 'Report on Defensive Capabilities of Originum-based Protection' and 'Dossier on Material Properties of D32 Steel' below) that are capable of resisting traditional chemical weapons, often requiring the expensive and highly dangerous Originum-etched calibres to fully penetrate. In addition, the so-called 'Originum Arts' as used by the Terran States are capable of undoing damage via various regenerative/reconstructive/shielding abilities as utilised by some of its practitioners. While it does not mean that line infantry of the Terran States are fully invulnerable to small arms, this 'lack of effect' could be a reason why most Terran States prefer to use bows and crossbows instead of expanding the effort on firearms._

_4\. Arts as an alternative: Originum Arts have been used offensively in the field as well, with even baseline Casters capable of throwing around squad-level firepower without Oripathy infection. This innate ability could be the main replacement for firearms on the field for the States..._

_...ADDENDUM: It should be noted that the Terran States make use of chemical-based firearms as drone-mounted weaponry, to a very prevalent level, which means that the Terran States do see the potential of firearms. Further investigation is needed to determine and clarify the full military doctrine of the military units of the Terran States._

_\- Excerpt from a Hidden Intelligence Report, 'Preliminary Observations of the Terran States'_

==| Chapter 1 - 2 |==

_BOOM!_

The Savras waved his wand, and the sky lit up. Everyone who hid behind the wall ducked as the wave of heated air hit them, accompanied by the screams of those unfortunate enough to survive the blast.

"Move!" At the harsh whisper of the Instructor, the entire team moved, several pairs of boots trampling across the asphalt at a frenzied speed. As the Reunion rioters either lay motionless on the ground or screamed in pain cradling their injuries, the group managed to slip past untouched, running across the length of a small street.

_"Ok, the hornet's nest is_ really _alive now. A good chunk of the Reunion squads near us has broken off from actually fighting the Empire forces and chasing us down instead. I guess they are really interested in you now, or something."_ Soulworker added, as Amiya watched him rejoin the Doctor. _"And I think the Drones might have caught a glimpse of me because some of them just started popping off stray shots."_

"How many are directly coming for us?" Dobermann asked.

_"Way more than you can handle!"_

Sure enough, as Soulworker as said, a chorus of shouts and yelling could be heard pressing in on them from all directions.

Dobermann began speaking into her speaker, "All units, be advised: avoid engagement with Reunion units. Focus on retreating to the next fallback p-"

_"There!"_

A door flew into the street, and a white-masked face peeked out. Sure enough, a swarm of rioters were pushing through the door, jumping out of windows and charging the Rhodes Islanders.

"-dammit!" Dobermann snapped out her whip. "Keep moving! Snipers and Casters, hold them off!"

A few of the team members stopped short, turning around with bows, crossbows, and staffs. A volley of titanium-tipped arrows and bolts shot through the air, followed by various Arts-formed bolts of energy. Hitting the tightly packed mob, some of the bolts stopped rioters dead in their tracks, while the Arts projectiles exploded with etheric force and blew holes in the formation.

Amiya turned around - sure enough, the sudden counterattack had allowed them to massively widen the gap between them and the rioters, but...

_"Massive group surging into the main street! We got to detour!"_ Following Soulworker's shout over the network, the group quickly dived into a side road - just the shape of rioters began pouring in from the other end. Dashing through the side road, they holed up in yet another building, hearts pounding as the shouts and yells of the rioters filled the air around them.

"Shit!" Dobermann cursed, and Amiya watched her take a few looks through the shattered windows at the rioters, who had milled out and filled the entirety of the main street, covering the entirety of the sector with eyes.

_"Hello Extraction Team, this is Reserve Support Team A."_ A voice crackled through their comms, _"We are seeing a lot of Reunion swarming your route. Are you still able to make it?"_

"Extraction Team, wait out." Dobermann made the order, as she continued looking. _"_ We are trying to find a route...

There was a shift in the shadows, as the Doctor made his way to her. "Instructor, may I suggest something?"

"Go ahead."

"I've been looking at the behaviour and attitude of the rioters, and despite their incredibly well-coordinated command, the individual groups or members don't look all that well trained or capable. So, I'm suggesting..."

==|==

For Voronkov, today was a great day.

The many days in the depths of the Orignium mines, scrabbing out a meagre existence, putting up with the abuse and isolation of the Empire while planning for this day?

Oh, it had passed. It passed, and the rule of Ursus had collapsed in Chernobog. Now, the helix logo of Reunion lay triumphant across the smashed city, and now their people ran amok, dragging out people from homes and inflicting reprisals, over the corpses of the Ursus military. A few had screamed for mercy for their families, but to Voronkov and his squad? They were all complicit, in Ursus's brutal exploitation of the Infected, in the very way they treated them on the streets and in work.

Beneath his mask, the Infected made a savage grin, remembering the frightened face of his shift enforcer when his squad smashed down his door. He had hoped that the man had suffered as much as pain as he had inflicted on his underlings.

Right now though...

A massive crowd had gathered in one of the main streets, on the orders of one irritating brat. Someone or something was trying to escape from the city...or at least, that was what it seemed from the messy rumours of people shouting willy nilly on some of the channels. They had been tracked here, but the trail had gone cold.

A part of Voronkov wondered what exactly so important about another bunch of refugees that they would try marshalling a massive chunk of them just to chase them down...but then again, they didn't really need to know. They were all enemies of them anyways. And he was really enjoying tearing this city down to the core.

"Yo, Boss, what's going on?" Voronkov's squadmate and a workmate of his asked, as the Reunion crowd continued to mill around and get agitated. "Its been a while since we got here. but noone's telling us anything."

"Just keep waiting, Igor." Voronkov said, tapping his crowbar against his hand. "We probably start moving soon, but if nothing happens then we can go back to the police station."

"Aww." Igor. "By the time we get back, the stuff will all be gone! I really wanted one of those machined crossbows that the Royal Guards use."

"Piss off." Another squad member yelled. "You already got that electrified baton!"

"Big talk from somebody that got their hands on someone's entire ballistic armour set!"

Voronkov rolled his eyes. His entire squad was behaving like idiots getting all worked up over loot, whereas he was just happy with the battered longsword one of the Sarkaz mercs had sold to him. Its weight fitted him well and thus he had kept with it despite its worn-out state, and besides, it had not failed him yet.

_"Found the bastards!"_

Someone yelled through his earpiece, all decorum lost in the heat of the moment. Before Voronkov could wince, the channel was filled with excited chatter.

_"Where!"_

_"Can't see shit you coc-"_

_"Can someone actually more useful than a m-"_

_"AT THE END OF THE STREET, YOU FUCKING IDIOTS!"_ A hateable, youthlike voice screeched through the comms, bringing some order to the unit

Sure enough, around Voronkov, the massive crowd began to surge. The agitation dissipated quickly, replaced with the raging thrill of violence. Shouts and screams ramped up as the very street began to shake.

"OI!" Voronkov shouted, getting the attention of his men. "What are you morons waiting for! Follow me!"

Taking up warcries, his squad began to follow the crowd. Voronkov took the lead, one hand on the sword handle on his back.

_Pow pow pow_

The air began to pop, followed by smoke clouds appearing in the midst of the mob. Some people stumbled away - just as faint whistling could be heard. Arrows fell down on the crowd, and men fell screaming as the projectiles hit them.

The mob collectively seemed to scream with rage, and Voronkov felt the formation surge with renewed vigour. Flashes appeared, and Voronkov saw a few bodies get sent flying by explosions of various sorts.

He seethed with frustration and tried to run - only to slam into the person in front of him.

"What the hell?!" Voronkov yelled, almost punching the person. "Why are you stopping?!"

Noone answered his question. The very person he was asking was repeating his own questions, trying to shove another rioter out of the way. The very mass of rioters had become a wall, fighting amongst each other for space. Meanwhile, arrows continued to fall on them, and the ground rumbled under the weight of multiple explosions.

"Push forward, dammit!" Voronkov yelled as the backline surged onto him. "We are all going to get fucking murdered if we don't actually start attacking those bastards!"

"W-we can't!" A few gangly youths pushed their way out of the crowd, _towards_ him. A immediately bolted away from the fighting, while one of them, missing his mask, catching his breath in the space. "T-they got us pinned!"

"Who the fuck is 'they'?!"

"I-its a fucking Knight! O-one of those crazy Kaazmierz assholes!" The youth, shaking with fear, looked like he was about to collapse. "The fucker's been pinning us in place!"

"What Knight?!" Voronkov was even more confused. "Why would those bastards come all the way here to Cherenbog?!"

"S-see for yourself! I'm out!" The youth took off, right before Voronkov could catch him. As he watched, more and more people pushed their way out of the crowd, fleeing helter-skelter as fast as they could.

_"Run!"_

_"Its one of those bastards! You can't beat her!"_

_"Fuck this shit, I'm not getting killed!"_

Voronkov gritted his teeth, before pushing past people into the crowd, shoving past people until he reached the front -

\- where a terrifying sight greeted him.

The Reunion rioters were attacking a line of men and women clad in black and blue uniform - and each time they were pushed back, fighting off twice their number. A woman wielding a battleaxe readily held off two of his comrades, while a man easily dispatched rioter after rioter with a curved sword. Amongst others they held the line, filling the space between them and Reunion with their bodies. But in the middle of the formation, a tall woman wearing a breastplate of metal over her dress took up the biggest presence.

Three rioters faced her all at once, one of them a large burly man wearing a heavy suit of riot armour - and Voronkov watched as she slowly and carefully took them apart. The woman - bearing the telltale ears and large tail of a Kuranta, wielding a warhammer and a diamond-shaped shield - blocked the burly man's sledgehammer with her shield, while simultaneously knocking away another man with a swift jab. She then slammed full force into the burly man, sending him reeling under the weight of his armour, before executing a swift uppercut on his other squadmate. Finally, as the burly man staggered, she grabbed her hammer with two hands and brought it down hard on his helmet.

Voronkov pulled out his long sword, legs shaking from the sight. _By the gods, it really is a bloody Kaazmierz Knight. Who the fuck are these people?_

Around him, the Reunion rioters tried to gather - as much as they could under the constant barrage of Arts, arrows and explosives. The line had begun to break, as more and more of their comrades were breaking away from the fight.

The woman slammed her warhammer on the ground, and a radiant white light surrounded her and her allies. All of them stood up straighter as the healing Arts revitalised them, the grip on their weapons tightening.

"Fuck." Voronkov cursed. The Knight was stalemating them, and their line was constantly being disrupted and pushed back. Meanwhile, the annoying brat was screaming over comms again, _"WHY ARE YOU IDIOTS INCAPABLE OF BEATING-"_

"Shut the fuck up!" Cutting off their commander, Voronkov radioed his squad. "We need to take down that bitch, or those fuckers are going to keep healing."

_"Boss, you can't be serious?!"_

"I am, otherwise we are all going to fucking die here!" Voronkov yelled, anger and fear gripping him in equal parts. "Igor, you and me will charge the Knight. Anton, get some crossbowmen to suppress her. The rest of you, charge the lines and hold them off!"

Voronkov steadied himself, channelling the black crystal in his bloodstream. Energy coiled up in his legs, and he _pushed._

He and Igor launched themselves across the battleline, sword and baton ready.

The woman, with a grimness matching their ferocity, simply swung her shield at Voronkov.

Voronkov slammed into the shield full force, staggering back with a daze. Igor landed, and aimed his baton at the woman's neck - only to get a hammer slammed into his forearm. Screaming, he fell, cradling his arm.

"IGOR!" Voronkov yelled, before running at the woman. Making a wild horizontal swing, his sword simply rebounded off her shield, and he barely dodged a hammer in return. As he scrambled back for purchase, the woman walked towards him, only to stop to block a sudden volley of arrows with her shield.

And in turn, left her right side open.

Voronkov aimed the Sarkaz blade straight for the opening. Before the woman could cover herself again, he channelled Arts into his body again, and shot forward in another charge.

Just as the shield whipped around.

The weathered blade of the sword snapped as it hit the shield. In the moment, Voronkov could only simply gape at the remains of his broken weapon.

The next thing he knew was the growing silhouette of a hammer rushing straight for his face.


	4. Chapter 1 - 3

_"The Originum-Based Storm Effect, otherwise known as 'Catastrophe' by the general public, refers to a localised storm generated by floating Originum mineral, capable of damaging and reshaping the environment around it, highly dangerous to all forms civilization. While it is unknown how this phenomenon began to happen in the first place, it has been a fixture of life for all Terrans ever since the first storms began to brew, and has done much the hampen progress._

_For years, Rim Billiton has been sheltering Terrans from the effects of the Catastrophe via our unique mobile platform technologies, which has formed the bedrock of Mobile City technology ever since. Millions of people continue to live safely on the Mobile Cities made possible by the fruits of our labour, and many more organizations have been able to conduct exploration and research of Originum with our various research platforms! If you are interested in transferring your village or town onto a Mobile City, or wish to procure a Platform for your organization's needs, please contact us in our many offices located across Earth/Terra!_

_In other news, we are proud to announce the opening of our major branch office and dockyard in the Last City of the Guardians! We hope that this unprecedented collaboration will bring in a new era of cooperation between the City and the Terran States!"_

_\- Excerpt from a transcript of a Rim Billiton advertising broadcast_

==| Chapter 1 - 3 |==

The warhammer smashed into the man's face, the force of the blow sending him flying.

Margeret Nearl watched as the squad leader landed at the feet of the remaining rioters, while the rest of her team dispatched what others had faced them. For a moment it seemed like someone else would dash out, but instead, the line simply disintegrated.

With the same chaos they had appeared, the disparate members of Reunion backed off, some even throwing off heavy equipment as they retreated.

The former Radiant Knight of Kaazmierz sighed, and raised her warhammer, channelling power through the Originum within it and her body. The same soft light surrounded her and the other Rhodes Islanders, relieving them of their injuries once again.

A group of people emerged from one of the buildings. The tall, masked man that they had come to save was at the lead and accompanied by Amiya, while Dobermann and the rest of the escort team. He walked up to her, saying matter-of-factly, "Thank you for the assistance."

Nearl faced him with a serious expression. "Good to see you...again, Doctor. Your thanks aside, I see you have not lost any of your tactical acumens."

"...you are welcome." He turned to look at the remains of the street, littered with broken bodies and cratered with holes. As the winds lapped at his cloak, what remaining Reunion that had not gotten away tried to limp away. "...by the Traveller, what a mess."

"...I hope we scared off more people than we...hurt…" Amiya said, her voice almost a whisper.

Around the duo, various other Rhode Islanders appeared from the buildings, the various other members of the reserve teams all bearing various ranged weapons of many sizes. Some of them stopped to stare at him, while others scoured some of the bodies, plucking out spare bolts and arrows before grouping out.

"Ms Nearl, did your teams sustain any casualties?" The Doctor asked, as he knelt to look at some of the bodies.

Nearl looked at the Doctor for a moment, frowning a little. _This is certainly not the same man that we lost._ She thought on the question for a moment, before returning to her tasks. "Fang, what's the status of the Reserve Teams?" she said, speaking into her headset.

_"Everyone's accounted for, Miss Nearl."_ The reply came. _"No injuries either. But we...we've expanded all our spare explosives and also running low on ammunition. And the Casters need a break."_

"Understood." The knight replied. She holstered her arms, and relayed the message over, "No casualties, but we used up most of our resources in this fight. The Reserve Teams won't have enough firepower for another extended battle."

The Doctor nodded, while Amiya's brown ears bobbed in relief. "At least everyone's safe."

"What about Reunion?" Dobermann asked. "Has their mobs scattered far enough?"

_"Seems like it."_ A certain voice entered the network. _"I've just did another sweep, looks like the rioters main force has been completely dispersed by Miss Nearl and the reserve team. Their morale looks shattered enough for the clean getaway."_

"Then we should make our move as soon as possible," Nearl replied. "That being said, who are you…?"

"Ah, apologies." A robotic eye shrouded in a battered green shell materalised in front of her. "Soulworker, Ghost to...your escort, if you weren't already aware."

The former Kaazmierzan quickly put two and two together. "So this is how he survived Ursus's gratitude?" She said, her eyes narrowing.

"Yes…" Soulworker replied.

The air suddenly grew a little tense, as the Nearl stared Soulworker straight in his sole eye. _So the Doctor is_ _now a Risen? This doesn't bode well._

A brief flashback came to her - of the man looking at a scene of devastation, and - professionally, calmly, _uncaringly_ \- brushing off the casualties, simply ordering a second assault with his battered troops, nothing but victory within his eyes.

Imposing over that image was a hooded figure conjuring a golden weapon in his hand, right before he cut down an entire platoon of Kaazmirzans with sunlight.

For the first time in a long time, she shivered.

"Miss Nearl?"

Amiya's warm voice punched through her thoughts, dragging her back into reality. Nearl turned around, looking at the young executive, who was wearing a worried expression.

"Sorry," Nearl said. "I had some suspicions…"

"I assure you," Soulworker spun his shell, as if showing irritation, "Your Doctor isn't going to turn into a Warlord or some rampant Lightbearer just because he's been blessed with Light. Nor am I going to encourage such behaviour."

"It's not that, its…" Nearl started, but as soon as she noticed the sky.

The light of the setting sun had been completely obscured, by a swirling mass of black clouds - and chunks of minerals equally dark as them. The storm convulsed as if it was _alive_ , its eye expanding and shrinking as if it was breathing. As she looked towards the horizon, she saw nothing but an endless expanse of darkness, as if shrouding the entire city.

A good chunk of the Rhodes Islanders looked up, worried expressions on their faces, including the Doctor, who stood unmoving with his mask aimed at the sky.

And at that exact moment, the many Originum shards began the grow bigger.

_The Catastrophe! That's too soon!_

Nearl reacted first. "Rhodes Island! Take cover!"

At her call, the various Rhodes Islanders dashed back to the buildings, while Nearl ran forward. Grabbing the stunned Doctor, she pulled him over her, and ran off as fast as she could.

And not a moment too soon. Something slammed into the ground behind her, throwing up a massive cloud of dust and asphalt. Nearl didn't look back, instead putting as much force as she could to get into cover. Ducking into a burnt-out building, she dumped the Doctor unceremoniously into the ground, joining a team of Operators, huddling themselves in the middle of the room.

Nearl looked out of a broken window, and watched as the sky fell.

A barrage of black crystals hit Chernobog streets, chunks and chunks of Originum of various sizes and shapes hitting the ground at terminal velocity. The very street _shredded_ , the materials of the road torn and ripped up by the sheer kinetic bombardment. The entire street _shook_ as a massive piece of crystal smashed into the opposite building, obliterating its entire left side.

And through the rumbling of Chernobog's distress, the faint screams of the poor souls caught out in the open. The Operators at the side huddled closer, some clasping hands and saying prayers to their gods.

Nearl turned away from the devastation, looking at the man they had sacrificed so much to save. He had propped himself up against the side of a ruined table, staring into space.

"Doctor, are you alright?" She asked.

"...yes." He took a deep breath, before pushing himself off the ground. "Sorry, I've been trying to remember what exactly I did...but nothing comes back. In relation to all this, all this destruction, Reunion, and eve-"

"Focus, Doctor." Nearl cut through his speech, even though deep inside she could empathize with his pain. "We will have all the time in the world to answer your questions - when we are out of this."

He nodded.

_I hope_. _At least, you seem to have proven yourself again…_

Turning away, Nearl tuned into the Rhodes Island Network. A hail of interference was affecting every network, as the bombardment of Originum created a constant wall of disruption against all communications, but Rhodes had prepared somewhat for this. She tuned into the command net, broadcasting, "Amiya? Dobermann? Where are you?"

_"Miss Nearl! You are safe! Where's the Doctor?"_ Amiya was the first to respond, abeit barely audible under the hiss of static.

"With me." She replied. "What about everyone else?"

_"We are still trying to account for all teams. Instructor Dobermann is trying to get confirmation from all the squad leaders, but we know a few got hit by the Catastrophe...we can't reach them though...the Originum disruption...eh?"_

"Amiya? Amiy-" Nearl shouted, but stopped as she looked outside.

Just as quickly as it had came, the rain of crystals had suddenly stopped. Some of the nearby operators looked outside, pointing and asking questions in worry.

_"Dobermann. Can someone raise the Ark again and see if either Eyjafalla or Dr. Kal'tsit can explain the short Catastrophe storm?"_ The instructor hissed across the network, the channel suddenly clear of static.

_"Sorry, Instructor. We still can't raise the Ark-"_ Someone tried to reply, only to be cut off suddenly by another unit.

_"Alert! This is Reserve Team 2, our drones just came across something! There's a massive armed group of Sarkaz mercenaries heading towards the Rescue Team! They are aiming to flank them from the north!"_

" _This is Dobermann."_ Nearl unholstered her weapons, as the rest of the nearby operators followed suit. _"Message acknowledged, we will tr-"_

_"Instructor, this is Scout."_ The soft, grizzled voice of a veteran entered the channel. " _My team and I will attempt to intercept that group of mercenaries._ "

" _Scout, wait, we need to start pulling back your team!"_

_"Apologies, Instructor, but the situation has changed. We won't be able to pull back now that Reunion has started throwing everything at us. Despite the Doctor's pushing back the main Reunion mob, those mercenaries have a much higher chance at preventing our extraction from Chernobog."_

_"...you are Sarkaz yourself, so I'll take your word for it. Stay safe."_ Nearl could feel her counterpart's frustration. _"Ace, what's your status?"_

_"...unfortunately, the same as Scout's."_ The other Rhodes veteran replied, voice grim. _"I'm seeing mercenaries within Reunion's ranks slipping through and reforming south east of your position. This was my fault; we weren't able to realize their presence because of how they were blending in with the rest of the rioters."_

_"So that's how Reunion managed to overwhelm some of the Ursus military; that backbone of Sarkaz mercs would have tilted things in their favour."_ Dobermann confirmed. _"I assume you are following Scout as well?"_

_"Our team will be engaging the mercenaries, yes. Ace out."_ Ace replied, right as Nearl got a private call from him. _"Miss Nearl, are you there?"_

"I am, Ace," she replied, her expression stony.

_"Remember the conversation we had before the operation started?"_

"I do, Ace. I remember clearly - you mentioning that the Doctor was vital if Rhodes Island was to break the stalemate of the Infected, and that you were more than willing to stake your life to ensure his return."

_"Good. Then I'm calling on you to help me fulfill that."_ A bright orange glow suddenly lit up in the distance outside, causing Nearl to look out as Ace spoke. _"Since we have an opening left, I need you to seize the opportunity to pull back all remaining forces with Amiya and the Doctor ASAP, and force the issue if necessary. The rest of us still fighting will do our best to keep Reunion off you."_

"...understood. But why do you have to emphasize this? This was the plan."

_"Because you very well know that Amiya will not agree to leaving anyone behind, to the point she would personally dive in to save us if she would. And the Doctor - I assume that our man is who he is - would defer to her and follow her in and as well. But they are the ones, not us, whose return to Rhodes are vital. Especially since how Reunion has...exceeded beyond our expectations. That woman has, for once, failed with her intelligence."_

"Acknowledged." The grimness of Ace's words affected Nearl all the same, even if she didn't let it show. "Even with the...man as he is now, as one of the Traveller's chosen, you still have that much faith in this, to lay down your life?"

_"I admit that things have changed far beyond our scope, but…we've come this far, and Reunion's bringing in their best. If we don't do this, there is the possibility that we might lose everything, here and now."_

"Understood." Nearl replied. "Do remember that they will be waiting for you, do not recklessly throw that life of yours away."

_"I don't plan to. Ace, out."_

The connection cut, returning Nearl to the command channel, which was filled with chatter. The Doctor had began following some of the Operators out - who surrounded him like a group of bodyguards. Meanwhile, Dobermann had been marshalling the various teams, her voice being heard the most. "Instructor, what's the situation?" Nearl asked.

_"Everyone's almost out, we are just doing first aid for those who got hit by the Catastrophe. Once we are done we can begin to move."_

"Alright." the Knight picked up her armour, and made her way to the blasted entrance of the building. "Did either Scout or Ace talk to you directly?"

_"No, but I assume it was a personal request."_

"It was, of sorts-"

_"Incoming!"_ A lookout yelled through another channel. _"Someone is heading towards us!"_

_"All un- wait, just one?!"_ Dobermann exclaimed in shock.

_"Yes! Hooded figure, white-haired-_

_"Multiple Sarkaz mercenaries sighted from the north! They've blown past Scout's tea-"_

_"Reporting a host of aerial units moving in from the South-east!"_

Warning and commands came in every second, the muted professionalism of the operators being the only thing preventing the tactical network from being overloaded.

_"Shit, we've been boxed in. Did they use the brief Originum rain to catch us?!"_

"Rhodes Island, form up!" Nearl ordered, as pulled out her hammer. "Box formation around the VIPs, and make a slow retreat to the target point!" _If we keep Amiya and the Doctor in the middle, and keep a fighting retreat, we can hopefully sustain the continued pressure from the enemy..._

The various Rhodes Islanders quickly formed up in the middle of the street, aligning shields and weapons in a spread out block formation, pushing the Doctor and Amiya into the middle. As a lone figure approached them, some of them aimed their crossbows and bows at her, and they all began to shuffle back, keeping eyes on the stranger.

The hood pulled back, revealing a head topped with a mop of messy, platinum-blonde hair, and a pair of eyes filled with hate. Eyes that blazed with hate so deep that it made Nearl shiver.

"Wait…" Amiya said, from the back. "That...that is…"

_"Amiya!"_ Ace suddenly shouted over the net. " _We just met up with some of Reunion's honorguard members! One of their leaders is directly after you! You have to start getting out now-"_

The woman threw back her hood, revealing the dark dress, the armband with the helix symbol, and the glowing orange hilt of her weapon, beneath her coat.

"...Talulah, the leader of Reunion…" Amiya's words died in her throat.

_"Get back! Get back as quickly as you can!"_ Dobermann's voice over the channel was filled with dread.

As the entire formation doubled up their efforts to retreat, the woman unsheathed her weapon.

"You will go no further, Rhodes Island." She said, with a voice full of guttural relish.

The very air seemed to grow hotter, centred around the woman.

On instinct, Nearl moved.

She pushed aside the Operators next to her, racing to the front and blowing her way out of the formation. Ignoring some of their yells, she aimed her shield forward, charging at the woman with a yell, a white radiant light beginning to shroud her..

Talulah swung her weapon, the billowing heat following its very path with a haze.

The two of them met, blade striking shield with inhuman force.

And Nearl screamed.


	5. Chapter 1 - 4

_"I don't think the fuckers up there get how bad this is, huh? Bet they think that losing almost an entire fucking battalion to those monsters is victory!"_

_"You think just because I survived this mess, it means I have some great bloody revelation on how to kill a Lightbearer? That's not how it works. That's not how any of this works!"_

_"Exactly, you are making my argument! You think that the reason why the Guardians can destroy armies is because of the Traveller, because of their war against the so-called 'Darkness', or the fact that they have all that sweet Golden Age technology, but that's not it! The reason why these Guardian's are such monsters is that they can never die, and just. Keep. Going!"_

_"You don't get it. Every single tactic 'anti-Guardian' tactic that the College came out with failed. Petrov's squad never managed to get his target into the Imprisonment Ward before his Casters got incapacitated. The Prototype Originum bombs that David's squad used only managed to slow their enemy down for a few minutes, and that bunch of Sarkaz? Oh yeah, they managed to corner and kill that Guardian a few times, didn't even last when the fucker suddenly started throwing electricity around. We actually got them - multiple times - and each time they just got back up and continued shooting."_

_"What, you_ think _we didn't try shooting those fucking robots? Of course we did. Except they are impervious to all normal weaponry, and when Stan's got his hands on one and tried running away, the other Guardians just fucking ran him into the forest where they_ murdered _him."_

_"So that's Plan B, huh? Surrounding the Cosmodrone and bombarding it with ballistic artillery until they give in? Yeah sure, let's just blow up the tech we want to collect and letting the Fallen slip by while giving them all the time in the world to murder our artillery units! What's next, asking them to start pulling off assassinations in the middle of the Mobile Cities?"_

_"...yeah, I know I'm not making things easy for you since you have to answer to them, but can you seriously believe this is the best ideas our higher-ups have? I just saw a good chunk of my men die all for fucking nothing, and the best they can do is just send more people to die."_

_"Medals? Seriously? What's the purpose of giving medals to me other than to soothe their own embarrassed tails..."_

_-Excerpt from a debriefing session with an Ursus military officer, shortly before the signing of the Serika Accords between the Consensus of the Last City and the Ursus Empire_

==| Chapter 1 - 4 |==

From behind Nearl's shield, a flash of flame struck true. In a single moment, the knight was consumed in a blast of roaring fire, the searing heat causing everyone to cower behind each other.

As the flash faded, the Knight stood still - and slammed her shield back.

Talulah retreated a few steps, pushed back. Nearl stepped forward - and stumbled. Amiya gasped, even when Nearl simply pushed herself up again - despite a good chunk of her hair and uniform smoking from the intense heat.

"Wait, Nearl! You can't-" Amiya cried, also pushing her way to the front.

 _"Take- fzzz - Doctor and go!"_ Nearl yelled, her damaged communicator outputting static. _"I'll try to delay her!"_

A blade flowing with flame slashed down, and Amiya watched as Nearl raised her shield to block - and was bathed in yet another wave of heat. Immediately, Nearl tried to shove Talulah back again, only to narrowly avoid getting her right arm sliced off as her opponent broke through her weakened guard.

"No!"

Amiya ran out into the fighting, despite the efforts of her men trying to stop her. As she rushed to meet Talulah, she thrust her hands out, matching the flaming weapon with her bare hands.

And at that moment, time and space _erupted_.

Talulah's strike was blunted, and sent backwards with great unseen force. As the Reunion leader was thrown back, a cold white light began to radiate from Amiya, shrouded in a field of darkness.

With the small young woman as its epicenter, the chimeric power expanded, forming a sigil behind her diminutive form. The ground began to rumble, exotic forces forcing and raising inhumanly regularly shapes of debris in tune with awesome power spreading and rippling across the battlefield. In a blink of an eye, the esoteric ward spread over the other Rhodes Islanders, shrouding them from the chaos that surrounded them, raising a barrier of rubble between them and their attacker.

Talulah stood up, running towards her. In response, a reddish-black mass formed in Amiya's hands, before launching itself at the assailant. The white-haired woman halted her assault and jumped back, barely dodging the mass - and as it hit the ground, it annihilated itself and a large chunk of the road with it.

"Amiya!" Dobermann hollered, over the unsteady echo of the chimeric ward. "Watch out! If you keep doing this, your rings -"

"I know! But…" the young executive cried out, "...but I am not letting any of you die here!"

Talulah stepped forward, lunging into a charge. Amiya fired another bolt of matter at her, but the Reunion leader simply sidestepped the wildly aimed shot. Rushing forward, she summoned another bout of flame, and swung it at the barrier. Chunks of it blew away, sent flying by the blast of superheated air.

Amiya cried out, the feedback from the attack pounding into her consciousness. She refocused her efforts on maintaining the ward, her Arts reshaping the destroyed street further.

In response, Talulah simply striked again. And again. And again.

With each blow, the Amiya felt her grip on reality waned. The ward flickered, and the barrier crumbled. Her arms felt weaker and weaker, as the reservoir of strength in her body slowly drained away

Finally, Talulah reared, and slammed into the barrier with a single devastating strike. The Arts broke, and the sigil faded. Amiya blinked, too weak to even comprehend what had happened, and she began to stumble.

"Amiya!" Nearl shouted, grabbing a hold of her. "Everyone! Retreat!"

"Ah…" Amiya murmured, as Nearl scooped her up and ran to join up with the rest. Looking over Nearl's shoulder, she watched Talulah step through her destroyed barrier, flaming weapon in her hand, before charging at Nearl.

And a blue bolt of lightning smote the ground between them, stopping her charge.

The last thing Amiya saw, was the Doctor's cloak, flowing in the wind and crackling with electricity.

==|==

_"Doctor, this is no time for heroics! You have to follow us ba-"_

_"He's a Guardian, he can hold her off! We will join up with you later!"_

As Soulworker and Nearl argued, the Doctor faced Talulah, Arc Energy coiling and flowing through his entire body. He floated in the middle of the street, gazing down on her, trying to recall everything he had learnt in the past minute.

" _Soulworker, I need your help, they are going to die here if she gets past Amiya. Do you have any ideas?"_

_"You can, but you gotta call upon the Light as a Guardian."_

_"Well, how do you do that?!"_

_"Um - well, Arc, Solar, Void - the storm, the sun and oblivion - what do you think you can channel now?!"_

_The Doctor thought._

_Amiya said he was - is - leader, teacher, strategist. If he was those, he was supposed to behold everything and find the right path for the people who were going to die for his life._

_He had to behold the chaos of the battlefield and make the right choice._

_He was -_

_As Amiya cried out under the strain of her power, the Doctor called._

_And the storm answered._

With nary a second thought, he drew upon the storm raging around him and aimed it at the woman.

Yet not a single bolt touched her, as she simply retreated, dodging away from the crackling lighting. He followed, the storm trailing -

And she darted to the side, before stabbing him through the torso before he could react. Seconds later, he screamed, as a blaze of heat scorched him from within, burning him into a corpse -

And he woke up gasping, Soulworker hovering over him, his eye flashing.

"Get up!" The Ghost yelled. "She's got you once, but you can keep going!"

The Doctor got to his feet, as Soulworker pumped Light into him to keep him going. Fire blazed in a straight path as his opponent had run past his presumed corpse and at Nearl's retreating back.

Arc Light flowed around him again, and he charged at her. It formed into an ionic channel, and through force of will and electromagnetic force, it launched him forward, right on top of Talulah.

The Arc Light faded, causing him to instinctively grabbed a hold of the woman. Before she could react he mustered all his Light-empowered strength, he flung her lithe body away, into the side of a nearby building.

The Doctor gasped for breath - but the pause was short. Talulah reoriented herself with a blast of heat, instead landing almost upright on the broken road. With a look of complete contempt, she ran at him, sword hissing with flame -

"Watch out!" Soulworker yelled.

She slashed up with the charge, and he barely evaded the blow, Immediately, she followed up with a downward swipe, and the Doctor managed to grab a hold of the blade with both of his hands, holding it barely centimetres from his face.

The weapon blazed with flame again, burning through the glove and into his hands. He screamed - and through the pain, he let go, bending over.

Grabbing him, Talulah pulled him up and shoved her sword through his chest.

Another scream, and -

\- Soulworker's ministration woke him up again. He stood up, but this time, Talulah was ready.

She stroke out with a downward slash, one that barely evaded by moving back. As the blade struck the ground, the Doctor reared up, and fired a ball of lightning from both of his hands.

Talulah simply brought her sword up, aiming it at him as the aura of heat around her coalesced into a point.

Flame belched forth, consuming Arc and flesh.

The Doctor screamed, screamed as his body burnt away under a torrent of fire. His vocals cords cut out, and his eyeballs themselves poppe-

\- and he gasped, lying on the ground again. The dull pain in his chest, in his body, everywhere, continued to persist, as Soulworker hovered over him.

"She's still chasing your people." He said matter-of-factly.

The Doctor sat up, coughing. He looked over at the fighting - and the pursuit was continuing, despite all their efforts. And yet, the fatigue had caught up to him, the strength of the Light fading through the continued abuse.

"I - we - need a better plan," he declared, furiously thinking.

"I couldn't agree more," Soulworker said. "But I only have one more burst of Light reserved for you, and even I'm at a loss at how to stop such an implacable woman."

"One more burst…" The Doctor considered all the scenarios, thinking, running through all of them. "Arc, Solar, Void - you said I could call upon them, right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Is there anything that will create a large enough explosion to blow up the road between her and the rest?" The Doctor asked.

"I-" Soulworker stopped for a moment. "What. I thought you were a medical professional, not a pyromaniac!"

"I'm open to any suggestion that can snare her instead of something more drastic."

"Ok - well, there is one, but I doubt your control over your power is strong enough to utilise it in any way, without it failing," Soulworker answered. "For you, raw power is all you have at the moment."

"What is it."

"Nova Bomb. Call upon the Void - the subatomic expanse between particles, the subatomic waste - and create a miniature singularity that will decay and create a mass explosion. There's going to be a lot of damage, but -"

The Doctor didn't hear what he said next, immediately getting up and running of. Soulworker stopped mid-sentence with shock, before chasing with a huff. The Ghost lit up and pumped the remainder of the stored Light within him into the man, firing pulses of it into his body.

As the Doctor closed in upon the group, he watched as Talulah steadily, slowly closed the gap between her and the rest of the Rhodes Islanders. Fire blazed around her as she began to unleash the full extent of her power, the very air and ground burning up as her aura spread. The very air began to burn his throat as the heat rose to unbearable levels.

Seeing them, he called upon the light, reaching out for a different source. Instead of the electromagnetic forces that drove a storm, he reached out into the particle weave, into the unseen forces that separated matter from matter, the force that defined what was energy and what was real.

It answered - with a temperament. Unlike the storm, this energy answered with resistance. The cold embrace of oblivion slowly spread across him, and a purple light began to glow - weakly - within his hands, already threatening to shake apart with the unstable mass.

The Doctor grimaced, but continued to run with it, pouring Light wildly into the unstable chamber. The micro-singularity trashed and blistered as it grew larger, almost as if threatening to break.

"I've pinpointed the safest point of detonation! Don't miss!" Soulworker, as a point appeared on the Doctor's damaged internal visor., right on the middle of the road.

Talulah turned around, noticing his movement. The heat moved like a coiling mythical snake, as if it was going to swallow him whole…

On instinct, he leaped. Light assisted strength propelled him above the battlefield, and for a moment that almost stretched into eternity.

In the milliseconds where he hovered in space, the Doctor fired.

Newtonian law launched him upwards as he threw the supermassive projectile, and the ball of purple light screamed downwards towards the ground. Talulah ran backwards, getting away from it as far as she could, while the closest Rhodes Islanders dived for the ground as far away as they could, trying to avoid its wrath.

The singularity condensed, collapsing within itself until it hit the ground, where it evaporated in an instant -

And _exploded_.

The primordial forces contained within escaped with tremendous vigour, shattering the ground below it. The many layers of the road and the support structure of the mobile city beneath it shattered in an instant, buckling and collapsing into an expanding hemisphere with the shriek of tortured metal and collapsing rubble.

The blast expanded, shaking the nearby buildings to the point that the more weakened buildings crumbled as the last of their foundations failed.

When the dust settled and the purple light faded, a massive hole in the city had formed between the Rhodes Islanders and Talulah, exposing the destroyed parts of the city 'subterranean' areas - the lower levels of the mobile structure, strewn with rubble, broken piping and snapped cabling.

The Doctor fell, across the newly formed crevasse and onto the other side - and hit the ground full force with his body.

"Argh!" He yelled, rolling a few meters from the impact. "Ouch, ouch…"

Soulworker reappeared, blasting a small pulse of light into him, healing whatever fracture that could have occurred. As the Doctor got up, he looked at the astounded faces of the Operators surrounding him. Even Nearl, the consummate knight, simply had an astounded expression on her face.

 _"Ace here."_ The radio crackled to life again. _"Could someone explain what on Terra was that massive purple explosion just now?"_

 _"...believe it or not, that was the Doctor."_ Dobermann's voice came in. _"He just...seperated us from Talulah."_

_"...understood. We have dispatched most of the mercenaries on our side, though we have some casualties. Do you need our assistance?"_

_"No. Retreat to the extraction point ASAP."_

The Doctor turned around. Sure enough, Talulah was standing there - but with so much of the road gone, she no longer had a path to reach them. And yet, she made no move.

"We need to move." The Doctor said, unnerved. "The rest of Reunion might be coming along soon…"

_"Y-Yes. All units, head to the extraction point!"_

==|==

At the edge of Chernobog, near where the defensive bulwarks of the mobile city sharply dropped into the wide wasteland, chaos reigned.

Civilians ran about, frantically trying to push their way through the overcrowded escape chutes leading to the evacuation vehicles below. The presence of any of the Ursus government was nowhere to be seen.

"This is madness." A Rhodes Islander asked, sick with pity, observing the situation from their extraction zone. top one of the few tall buildings in Chernobog. "Where are all the Royal Guards? Where are any of Ursus's local police?"

"Gone like the wind, no doubt," Soulworker said, he and the Doctor also watching the chaos from above. "Most likely some of the evacuation vehicles are missing purely because anyone stationed here fled on them long ago."

"Ah…" The operator made a sound of disgust, before turning away to help his teammates with setting up landing flares.

The Doctor watched them, mind going through the events of the past hour as his hand unconsciously touched the ghost areas of his wounds. Reimagining the fire and Talulah's vicious attacks, his stomach dropped a little. Professionalism took over as he asked over the network, trying to distract himself, "Instructor, do...do we have a way to help some of the refugees?"

 _"We've spotted a large mass of Platforms heading towards Chernobog from the direction of the other Ursus cities, so most of them should be protected - if they get off this place,"_ Dobermann replied. _"We did make contact with a bunch of students who were trying to lead an evacuation out of the city and we did get permission to extract them to the Ark, seeing how they were full of people that needed immediate medical treatment."_

"I see." The Doctor replied. "How's Amiya?"

_"She's fine. Over-exhaustion from the extended operation and the stress of the Arts was what got her. The medics say that she just needs rest for the moment."_

"Understood. And, er, thank you. Out." He replied, closing the connection.

In the distance, the faint roar of turbine engines could be heard, accompanying the black-blue hulls of Rhodes' own compound helicopter transports. A few Operators took deep breaths as they watched their extraction arrive, but Chernobog's internal defences - the missiles batteries and various ballistic turrets - were silent. With no opposition, the sleek coaxial rotorcraft swooped in rapidly above the temporary landing zones, before landing.

As the teams boarded the transport, the Doctor looked back, across the city of his rebirth.

_Someone so important that an army smashed into the closest thing to hell to save me. And I unhesitantly put my life down for them as well._

_Just...who was I?_

"Doctor?" An Operator asked, as he hovered at the edge of the vehicle.

"Oh. Sorry," he replied and got in the transport's door slamming on him.

The transports took off, disappearing into the coming night, leaving the ruined city behind.

==| Chapter 1 End |==


	6. Interlude 1 - When the Dust Settles

_49: So, Reunion. Should we take note of their activities, considering the increasing militaristic actions as of late?_

_82: Yeah, I support [49]. The patterns that I've been seeing as of late indicates that there's going to be some sort of large-scale, insurrection movement pushed by the organization soon. Heck, they have escalated to the point of violent protests and riots in several cities._

_76: Rejected, on the grounds that we don't have much proof for that. As far as the Hidden is concerned, Reunion remains, as of now, a political movement._

_82: Included within my latest data package are some of my interviews with ex-Reunion operatives stating some of their reasons for having left the movement, as well as some new intelligence regarding the views of their leaders._

_49: I also managed to secure some pictorial evidence of several illicit weapons caches being stockpiled in Ursus cities. I think its safe to say that they are planning something._

_76: Again, rejected. Perhaps they are planning something violent, but I see no reason to intervene. Remember the Treaty of the Basilica._

_49: That doesn't mean we shouldn't at least warn them! Like, they are planning to disable multiple Mobile Cities, including Great Lungmen and some major Ursus cities! The casualties will be immense, not to mention the resulting economic collapse!_

_76: I see no reason why we have to do their counter-intelligence work for them._

_82: With all respect, if they find out that we didn't warn them in advance, it will seriously jeopardize diplomatic efforts between the City and the Terrans._

_76: Who cares? They are just [CENSORED] Terrans._

_\- Hidden Communique transcript sometime before the Fall of Chernobog_

==| Interlude 1 - When the Dust Settles |==

Light.

Reunion's night of upheaval had continued throughout the night, but now a new day began to shine on Chernobog, the fires of revolution had extinguished - but with a new flag upon the city.

The standard of the Ursus Empire on the city hall had been violently removed, with a large, crudely painted sheet bearing Reunion's symbol now adorning its walls. There were celebrations by the mob as they watched their ascent - but now, the streets were silent, merely littered with debris, residue as order slowly returned.

Many of the city's buildings were empty, their occupants having long fled. Most of them had also been pierced by Originum shards of varying sizes, leaving only some fit for human habitation. Despite this, some figures could be seen walking out of them, trying to create a new routine for themselves despite the sudden transition. Lights flickered as power flowed intermittently through the city's grid, as a few engineers ran about trying to patch things

Amidst this, two men faced each at a crossroads, outside a temporary command post set up by Reunion.

"General."

"Buldrokkas'tee?"

"No. Not any more. Just Patriot."

One of the men was a bearded, white-haired gentleman with a pair of feathers - one yellow, one black - sticking from his head, with a clean turquoise-black and yellow cloak draped over his shoulders, bearing a sheathed sword on his belt. On the side of his cloak, the word 'Azazel' was printed.

The other wore heavy armour from top to bottom, his helmet carved in the shape of an aggressive deer with blazing red eyes, which covered his head completely. On top of his chest plate was a large, dirty respirator with a large fan spinning in its middle.

"It is, however. Good. That you remember me." the man with the respirator spoke, his voice raspy and distorted.

"You speak a lot differently since we last met." The white-haired gentleman took his hand off the handle of his sword, letting them fall to the side.

"Oripathy. It has ravaged, my vocal cords. Merely speaking is. Difficult."

"...what a shame. Your grand speeches could once rouse the Army across the ends of the Empire. And your exemplary record; it really hurts the heart to see that one of Ursus's greatest officers would end up like this…" The General looked at Patriot's shoulder, where the faded old crest of Ursus - the double-headed eagle with the star - could barely be seen, while the helix badge of Reunion stood prominent on his shield.

"You go too far, General. At the time, I was merely staff captain. And a Sarkaz, at that."

"His Majesty once said that the Ursus Empire was held up not by the bonds of blood, but the unity of conviction of the empire's people." The General sighed, shedding a tear. "But look at us now, look at the way they treated our lives…"

"His Majesty. Once also said. That the Army serves the people. Not their careers. But His Majesty has passed, with his enlightened rule, and our leaders, simply squabble over glory." Patriot echoed. "How long our lives been, that we see all our compatriots, all pass before us. Ironic. That the disease, ravaged us both, but we still stand."

Both of them faced other, silently reminiscing on lives long past. From the command post, a few Reunion operatives watched them both, as the cold wind blew at their cloaks.

"General. Sit, have a drink. I have, with me, some old brews from the north." Patriot made a motion, hand pointing at a nearby portable table with stools.

"Thank you, but I must reject. I was originally planning to leave earlier, but I stayed back...when I heard that you were around."

"Where do you head?"

"Rhodes Island."

"Ah, I...see." Under the heavy armour, Patriot shifted, a little comfortable. "Before that...General, I...am sorry about, your clinic. I promise. Whoever who did it, will be punished."

"I don't believe it was Reunion's doing, seeing you are here."

"That's...not true." Patriot admitted. "I am only. One commander. I can be certain, of the behaviour of my men. But the rest of Reunion, and Talulah, I cannot be certain."

"Then I trust in you. But if things are this chaotic, are you certain you can stabilize it?"

"The people of Reunion, are disorganized. Not soldiers. But I am here. With time, perhaps things could be changed. You could help me, General."

"I'm afraid I can't, Patriot. Our goals differ too much."

"How so?"

"The past decades…" The General looked around, at the devastation of the city - a city he so disliked, yet... "Look at Chernobog now. It's lifeless and broken, its people scattered to the winds and left without a home. This is the cost...of Reunion's actions, Patriot."

"It's true, that Chernobog was peaceful. But for us, the Infected. could not enjoy that peace. Could not enjoy its fruits. We were hated, despised, isolated. But still, I did not enjoy, leaving the city to the Catastrophe. But I understood. That it had to be done. If we were to see success."

"And with that success, Chernobog has fallen." The General sighed. "But what comes after Chernobog? You should be all too familiar with the might of the Ursus. And with what Reunion has done last night, it would not be too long before the Empire's armies march. On Reunion."

"Then we will fight, General," Patriot spoke, his defiance showing despite his crippled speech. "If the army faces us, we crush them. If the government, continues its repression, we shall strike, at the ministers. My goals, are for the Empire, to recognize the rights, of us Infected. My objectives, will change, as to further this. Even if, the rest of Reunion, does not see it this way, my heart remains set, on justice - for the Infected, and for the Empire. The cost is steep, but it must be done."

"You truly are a patriot. Even after all the Empire has done to you…" The General shook his head. "But are your men as prepared as you?"

"Does it matter? We are here, and the armies march. There will be sacrifice, but arms in arms, we will die, knowing that we fought."

"So what then? After this victory, will you personally tear out the heart of Ursus just to achieve your goal? To burn the empire from end to end? To...send your men to die over and over, for a cause that could just see the collapse of the Empire itself?"

Patriot considered the question for a few moments, before responding with a heavy tone. "...I'm here, General. Here, willing to die, with them. I have little time left, and so do they. This is the least, we can do, to expand the last of our life, to force a result. That, I'm honored to do."

The General sighed. Hearing Patriot's dark words, he wanted sorely to turn this man to a different path, away from a pure of self-immolation, but he found himself lacking the strength to do it. He...just tired of it.

Of the pain. Of the war.

"I see. Then we truly are polar opposites, as much as we understand each other."

"General..."

"Listen, Patriot." The General sighed again. "The years since we last met have..taken their toll. I have seen the schemes of the bureaucracy, and the military, alongside the scribes and sorcerers of the court. Men of ambition have long plotted in the shadows, vying over power in the Empire...and these men are long dead."

"How fortunate, that we stand, untouched by them, our lives our own."

"Yes, but not unscarred. I left, Patriot. I left, tired of them all. In contrast to your zeal, I have lost any loyalty to the Empire. In a way, I'm...a spineless coward. Nowadays, I just wish to protect what I have left, what people I can take under my wing. I do not wish, to involve more men in a bloodbath. But alas...Azazel is gone, and this place is no more pleasant than yesterday, and I must leave."

"Hence you go, to Rhodes Island. I understand, General."

The thumping of footsteps interrupted their conversation. "Sir, a report!" One of the Reunion soldiers ran up to Patriot, stopping beside him.

"Apologies, General," Patriot turned to the young man. "Yes?"

"We have secured this section of the city. The utilities have been restarted and are being reset, but there's been...some damage."

"Good. What about, the civilians?"

"We have been moving them into safer areas, but...some of the men are not happy. There have been...attacks, fights, people trying to hurt them."

"Why?" Patriot simply asked.

The man looked up at Patriot's bulked-up frame. "Well...they don't believe the Chernobogians...deserve such good treatment for...what they did to us. With due respect...I think they have a point…"

"Hmmm." Patriot thought over the question for a few moments. "Listen."

"Yes?"

"Post more guards, watch the civilians, but make sure, that the men, get proper care as well. Treat anyone with injuries. Tell Mephisto, Crownslayer, that I will, see to the protection, of the civilians."

"Yes sir. And?"

"Make it clear, that with our supplies, nobody is allowed, to lay hands on the civilians. Or take what is theirs."

"...and if we catch anyone?"

"Hang them."

The General heard a sharp intake of breath from the post.

"I will ensure, that everyone, gets enough for, their use. But that means, looting is, forbidden. Make it clear, for the others. I will not tolerate, lack of discipline."

"Y-yes sir!"

As the messenger ran off, the General spoke, "It must be difficult to be one of the few soldiers in Reunion."

"You understate things," Patriot spoke. "Hate runs deep, and the rest, do not share, my concerns. Even Talulah, does not intervene. She is independent, and it leaves a mark, a attitude, on the rest. But I must do it." He turned back to the General. "You...are heading to Rhodes?"

"Yes."

"Hmmm…difficult. We may fight."

"Why so?"

"Talulah attacked Rhodes. They were here, last night."

The General's eyes widened in surprise. "That is strange. Why would they be here, and why would Talulah attack them?"

"I do not know. But this, _misunderstanding…_ " Patriot hissed, through his respirator. "It will be difficult. I do not wish, to make an enemy of Rhodes, when they do much, for the Infected…I fear that this, beyond all things, will doom us."

"It is troubling."

"Many things are. Even more troubling, is that, I have heard, that Rhodes has one, of the demi-gods. A Guardian."

"A Guardian of the Last City?" The General furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you absolutely certain? That's a very serious accusation."

"Talulah has insisted. She faced him - or her - herself. Rising from the dead, repeatedly. Wielding lighting, wielding emptiness. Otherwise, the reports are...spotty. Our drones were depleted. But...I believe her."

"...I can't begin to fathom why Rhodes Island would even recruit a _Lightbearer_ of all people." The General rubbed his beard, trying to piece out some reasoning out of the news. "We all knew that Rhodes had been militarizing in self-defense against attacks on their operations, but what would be so dire that they would get a _Guardian_?"

"Perhaps the demigod was sent. By the Last City."

"That would be a _serious_ breach of the Treaty of the Basilica. The agreement was that the City Consensus would not interfere in Terran matters militarily and focus on protecting Terra. For all intents and purposes, they are serious about keeping to that."

"Perhaps, it's a lone wolf. Not the first time, such things have happened. The Guardians are strange, like their god. A leader of theirs has died, so perhaps, their leashes...have gone loose."

"It's possible. I've also heard rumours...about that Doctor Maxwell. I would not put it past that man to reach out to those Guardians. But what really puzzles me is their involvement in Chernobog...wasn't their force mainly a security force? Why would it be deployed, most likely under the noses of the Empire? What was so important in Chernobog that they went all the way to...do?" As he finished, the General clicked his tongue in confusion.

"Secrets and rumors, everywhere, with a blood knight involved." Patriot's snorted. "General, in that case, perhaps Reunion, is a better place, for your retirement."

"Ha ha ha ha ha…" The tension broke, as the General broke out into a guffaw. "You really are audacious, Patriot."

"Just a joke, at your expense." Patriot's mask made no sign, but the man was clearly laughing under it. "As I said, I understand, your wish."

"Yes...like I said, to defend the Infected, to protect them...it's all I ask now."

The moment of mirth faded away as quickly as it came. And not a moment too soon, as the sun began to rise higher, reminding them of the time.

"Hmm. My time grows short, General." Patriot spoke, while looking up at the sky."

"I see. Then I suppose I should stop straying on your welcome any longer."

"That is, no concern. The fact that, you, in this broken ruin, stayed long enough, even with the riots, looking for me, is enough. For that, you are no coward, in my eyes. Even if, you tire of the war, I will fight in your stead, because of this. It is, the last thing I have, after all."

"Thank you for your kind words."

"Allow me, to arrange an escort."

"There's no need to get yourself into trouble-"

"Insist, she does not care."

"Then I accept."

Patriot turned around, giving out orders, and soon a platoon of Reunion soldiers in scavenged armour ran up to meet him. After giving orders to them, he turned back around to face the General.

"This is goodbye then. I hope, that we do not have to meet on the battlefield."

"The same. I regret...not having served, under you."

The General sighed, before saluting the Reunion leader. "And I regret not having you under my command."

Patriot saluted back. Both of them faced each other for a brief moment, before dropping it. Taking the cue, the General turned around, walking off, the escort in tow.

They had walked a short distance, before Patriot called out again.

"General!"

He turned around. "Yes?"

"I have heard, that you have a child. Are they safe?"

"She is, yes!"

"Splendid. I, too, have adopted a daughter."

"I see." The thought of the large, serious Sarkaz with a young girl under his care made the General chuckle.

"I pray...to even the Traveller, if it listens, that our children, will meet some day."

"So do I, my friend."

With that last note, the both of them turned around, separating at the crossroads, walking in opposite directions, with that one small hope in their hearts.


	7. Chapter 2 - 1

_"Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals Incorporated is a recently established private company that offers medical services across Earth to a wide variety of customers. The unique nature of Rhodes offerings is that Rhodes provides specialised services meant for the treatment of Oripathy, mainly via stabilizing the condition and preventing the continued spread of the infection throughout the patient via the use of long term therapy and advanced continuous treatment. Rhodes Island is however also notable for the fact that they provide fair and free employment of Infected, with a good source of their recruitment coming from Infected who chose to sign on with the organization after receiving treatment for a variety of reason. As such, it has led to Rhodes Island being seen as a holdout for Infected, with both positive and negative portrayals in public as such._

_As of recent times, the organization has expanded its partnerships with various powerbases, including the Rim Billiton Mining Company, Karlan Commerical of the Kierag 'mafia', the Blacksteel Worldwide PMC, and various other 'grey' affiliated organizations in the Terran sphere of influence. Reports from Hidden Agents indicated that the organization has taken a major step towards full-on militarization, partly due to the intensifying societal conflict surrounding the Infected and various security incidents related to its forces._

_This report posits to the consensus that engagement with Rhodes Island should be a priority if the City wishes to further increase relations with the Terrans."_

_\- Excerpt from a report submitted to the City Consensus, 'Factions of the Terran Political Spheres'_

==| Chapter 2 - 1 |==

**1 Day after Chernobog**  
**The Ark - Rhodes Island Mobile Headquarters  
** **Southeast of Chernobog, Unbound Desert**

A clock rang, filling a darkened room with a shrill ring.

A man shifted from under a thin blanket, fumbling with his finger on something to his right. Finding purchase, he pushed, and the room filled with light with a 'click'.

Pushing the blankets off, he pressed down on a cheap clock placed in a hole next to his cot, silencing it. With the noise gone, he looked around his room, surrounded by the low whirring of the vessel he was on.

The room he was in was the plainly done personal quarter typically found on a ship, small and bare. Other than the clothes Soulworker made for him - pitted with holes and burn marks, a sight that made him wince - hanging off the room's cabinet, the only other thing of note was the entrance to the bathroom.

_Amiya had said that this was my old room,_ The Doctor thought. _Doesn't say much, of who I was though…_

He looked at the other item within the cot. Aside from the cheap - and battered - analogue clock, a photo in a frame stood in there. He picked it up, brushing off the thick layer of dust that had gathered on it.

Within the frame, he - wearing a lab coat - and Amiya stood with a woman with white feline ears, who was wearing a lime-green dress under her own lab coat. Amiya was in between both of them, hugging them with both hands while putting on her widest smile.

The smiles of his past self and the woman were far less enthusiastic, however.

_Who is that woman? And just what sort of relationship did I have with...Amiya and her? And why is this the only...thing of significance here?_

The Doctor continued looking at the photo, staring at an image that he had no remembrance of taking, trying to coax some sort of significance out of it.

Right at that moment, the door slid open with a pneumatic hiss.

"Oh, you are awake." Soulworker floated in, his ragged green shell spinning, with the Doctor noticing the lines and marks of wear and tear on his frame - was it battle damage, or something else?. "Amiya asked me to fetch you. Apparently she wants to introduce you to the whole command team - well, reintroduce you at least - then take you on a tour of the Ark."

"Hmmm." The Doctor turned back to the picture, before setting it down on the bed. Getting up, he walked to the cabinet, then stopped right in front of his burnt outfit.

"You can't possibly be thinking of wearing that."

"Couldn't you just make me a new set?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm not exactly aflush in Gilmmer, I can't just make clothes for you willy-nilly. Besides, there's most likely a serviceable set of clothes inside for your use." Soulworker said, tilting his shell. "That reminds me, we need to bring you back to the Last Cit...what's the matter?"

"It...doesn't feel like I should be touching any of this stuff, to tell you the truth."

"Well... let's put it this way - all this stuff is yours and that's what really matters now…?" Soulworker caught himself. "I mean, you have a meeting in twenty minutes. Surely you don't want to keep them waiting…"

The Doctor walked forward, opening the cabinet. On every hanger, which were themselves completely identical to each other, was a ballistic jacket layered neatly over a labcoat or protective gown - each with the same Rhodes' iconography, like someone's uniform set.

He took one out, taking a moment to turn it over in his hands and look over it.

"Soulworker...did you ever have to go through this with any Guardian?" the Doctor asked.

The Ghost remained silent.

"Soulworker?"

"...You are a very special case, considering how you got revived so close to the point of death and right in the care of your parent organization. I can't say for all Guardians, but none of them were as...lucky as you, that's for certain."

"I see," he turned around, looking at the Ghost. "Thanks for those words, anyway."

As he walked towards the bathroom, Soulworker made a little puff of relief.

==|==

The Ark was massive, even when compared to the massive desert they were on.

Standing on a balcony to the command tower of the mobile platform, the Doctor looked over the gargantuan structure from a balcony. Approximately 400 meters long and 100 meters wide, topped off with the massive flight deck and the bridge superstructure he was on. Along the sides of the gargantuan mobile carrier was the top of several autocannon turrets - mostly retracted below decks to protect them from the harsh elements. Several vertical launch missile cells could be spotted and several points in the deck, with mainly the telltale gaps and red safety markings giving them away. As for its aircraft complement, most of it had been brought down to the service bays, with the only sign of them being a quadcopter survey drone that came in for a landing. Several boxy maintenance robots and crew wandered the deck like ants on a table, underlying the size of the craft, walking across the massive Rhodes symbol - the rook within the triangle - that were painted on some of the main aircraft elevators.

Calling it utterly breathtaking was an understatement.

The door behind hissed open, and Amiya popped out.

"Morning, Doctor!" She said, the exhaustion of the previous night completely gone. "The meeting's about to start, don't you want to come in?"

"Sorry, just…" He turned around, hands in his jacket. "Just completely blown away by the view."

Amiya made a cute, girly giggle. "Fu fu fu. But Doctor, you should really come in, we don't want you melting in the heat."

"Ok." Almost immediately, he followed her in.

The central information centre of the carrier, as if reflecting the organization that operated it, had an antiseptic feel to it, the many control terminals and chairs regularly scrubbed to polish and the air constantly sprayed with some air freshening agent. Within all that and the cool atmosphere of the interior, the Doctor felt at ease.

Four people were waiting for him, including Amiya. As he approached, Soulworker appeared, joining the group.

"So!" Amiya clapped her hands together. "Introductions! Doctor, as you know, I'm Amiya, and Dobermann-" She pointed to the Perro combat instructor, who made a tight smile "- our chief combat instructor."

"As for the other two…" She pointed at the other two woman - one had a crop of short black hair as she wore a large engineer's jacket over a casual white T-shirt, while the other woman, had flowing white hair with braids, and wore a black blouse with detached sleeves over a short white dress. "They are Closure and Warfarin. Closure is our Ship Reliability Engineer and Chief Quartermaster, while Warfarin is our Senior Executive Medical Officer."

"Hi, Doctor!" Closure smiled, making a casual wave. "Or would you rather be called Doctor Maxwell?"

"...errr." _Right, that's my old name…._ "Just Doctor would be fine, since that's...what everyone's been calling me for now."

"Oh, that's going to be a problem when Dr. Kal'tsit gets back, though."

"Eh?"

"Oh sorry!" Amiya cut in. "Dr Kal'tsit would be here, but she's busy at Lungmen City right now, negotiating with the authorities. By the way, she's the head of our Medical Department, in a way, number two in Rhodes...while I guess you could call me number one, as the public face of Rhodes."

"Huh." Pushing aside the question of how Amiya went so high in the command structure, the Doctor asked another question. "Then, what about my place here?"

"Technically speaking, Doctor, you were originally a strategic consultant for Rhodes, coordinating our security teams on offshore missions." Dobermann took up the slack, getting straight to the point. "During the period that you were...absent, our security unit was reformed with a more formal structure, and you were supposed to be our first Head of the Tactical Department. But with your...condition, well, we have been discussing, and we have agreed to just maintain your original consultant role for now, until we can be certain that you are, to use a certain phrase, 'fully-functional'." Dobermann made a face, as if not fully in agreement with the phrase. "Is that alright with you, or do you have any objections?"

"None so far. I think that will be very helpful, in fact." The Doctor replied.

"Good. Then we can start discussing the elephant in the r- Warfarin, please control yourself."

Everyone's heads turned to face the medical officer, who had been staring at the Doctor, her mouth open enough to spot the fangs on her teeth. Hastily, Warfarin snapped out of her daze, covering her embarrassment by coughing into her mouth.

"Uhhhh…" Soulworker finally spoke. "What the…"

"Oh right," Amiya answered, apologetic. "Sorry, Warfarin's a vampire, she sometimes has a...certain primal craving for blood. Please forgive her, she sometimes has these sort of episodes..."

" _Vampires?_ " Soulworker asked, confused.

"Yeah, we exist." Closure answered, with a bit of a shrug. "Subspecies of Sarkaz, with an innate hunger from blood, being able to live long...though we don't actually have to drink blood all the time, mind you - it's just that Miss Warfarin doesn't have enough control over her own instincts."

"I'm can control myself." Warfarin replied with a huff.

"Uh-huh."

"Alright, back on topic." Dobermann cut through the conversation. "So, Doctor, as you are aware, you are now a Guardian - Lightbearer, Risen, whatever - and there are certain complications with regards to this."

"Such as?"

"Well for one, you are supposed to head back to the Last City immediately." Soulworker took over, flying right in front of him. "To recap what I didn't tell you last night - the Last City is the home of the Guardians, one of the few human holdouts on Earth - aside from the Terran States. Under the protection of the sleeping Traveller - which protects the city from unwanted incursions and possible Catastrophes - it has one of the largest human populations and is the most advanced civilization of Earth. It's imperative that any newly raised Guardian is to be guided back to the City by their Ghost via any means necessary, immediately, for registration with the Vanguard, and understanding the roles and rituals of being a Guardian. Or so goes the official pitch."

"I'm guessing that this arrangement won't be honoured. In my case," The Doctor picked up quickly.

"Correct," Dobermann replied. "For one, your presence is needed at Rhodes, immediately, considering the nature of our next assignment and the arrangements involved. Secondly, by the Treaty of the Basilica, Guardians are not permitted to join or participate in any political or military groups, without any 'special arrangements' provided by the so-called 'City Consensus' - the ruling polity of the Last City, so to speak."

"And trust me, getting that approval will be like drawing blood from a stone," Soulworker added. "But we do have to head to the Last City soon, in any case. Though...the description of you guys as a pharmaceutical company gets less and less untrue the more I explore this ship."

"To be honest, I think we should just drop the facade already, ya know?" Closure stretched her arms in the air, an impish smile on her face. "I mean, it's really hard trying to procure munitions and equipment like _surface-to-air_ missiles when you have to route the shipments through three different front companies before having them delivered here by heavy lifter!"

"Well, we can't, considering how much unwanted attention we would get if we started working like Blacksteel…" Amiya added.

"Regardless of the issues, that's what it is at the moment." Dobermann finished off. "Last nights rescue operation of you was the first-ever major, large-scale operation conducted by us. And with things as is, we would rather keep the pretence of our combat units being mere security teams...at the moment. At least, until our next contract is complete. Which comes to our next point."

Amiya waved a hand, and a holographic projection appeared in the middle of the CIC. A map of the desert, with dots and representations of the Ark, and the cities around it was displayed, with various colour-coding to match.

"Currently, we are on-route from what's left of Chernobog towards a place called Lungmen." Dobermann continued, pulling out a pointer and aiming it at the visual representation of a city.. "Lungmen City, otherwise known as Great Lungmen, is one of the more prominent Mobile Cities in this side of Asia. It acts as the major trading hub between the Ursus Empire, the Far East, Kaazmierz and various others. It even has a link to the European Dead Zone, where I hear there is an outpost maintained by the Last City - through those sound more like rumours."

"Basically, with the fall of Chernobog, there are now refugees that have scattered to many places. Some of the refugee convoys have headed back to Ursus proper, but some - including a group that is on the Ark at the moment, that we have arranged for transport - have headed straight for Lungmen instead." Accentuating her point, Dobermann used the tip of her pointer to highlight the dots representing Chernobog's escape platforms that were headed for Lungmen.

"With Reunion's sudden uprising and capture of Chernobog, there is a quite high possibility that some of these refugees may be Reunion operatives in disguise - especially given how much Reunion has targeted Lungmen in their manifestos. Which brings us to our current situation - Lungmen's officials have reached out to us to provide additional security and protection of Lungmen against a possible Reunion threat. In exchange for that, they are willing to provide supplies and equipment, as well as space for us to locate the Ark for awhile. As Amiya mentioned, Dr Kal'tsit is currently there, hashing out the specifics of the agreement."

"An organization for the Infected...fighting an Infected political movement," Soulworker commented.

"The irony isn't lost on us," Dobermann replied, dryly. "We would rather things be different, but as per the circumstances…"

"So...how long will it take us to head to Lungmen, and what are my responsibilities in the interim?" The Doctor asked.

"The trip to Lungmen will take four days, so I'd ask you to take the time to refamiliarize yourself with the various Operators and our armouries. I can give you a list of the training schedules, and you can ask Closure for a tour of the Ark, if you need the time. That said, have you been able to remember anything yet?"

"Well…" The Doctor racked his head, trying to think of anything, but his mind came to a blank. "I'm sorry, I have not been able to recall any memories."

"That's fine, Doctor." Warfarin cut in. "If you need help recalling things, you can come down to the Medical Department, I'm sure we will be able to help jog your memory. And if not, I'm sure the Research Department will appreciate some of your expertise, assuming you still have some of it - and the time to spare."

"Just make sure you don't get drugged and sliced open." Closure joked.

"Ahem. I'm rather swamped with work, so I don't have time to randomly vivisect people." Warfarin replied with some annoyance. "But seriously, Doctor, volunteering yourself for a thorough medical checkup and tests would bring many benefits for Rhodes. Noone save the Last City has ever had any possible data on the physiology and biological makeup of the Guardians. We would be able to glean plenty of research data based on that alone."

"I'll take that into account." The Doctor replied. "Is there anything else I need to know?

The four of them looked at each other.

"So far no. If you have no further questions, then you are di-"

_"Attention."_ A loud announcement came from the ship's public address system. _"Large airborne vehicle coming in for landing. All personnel, please standby. I repeat, all personnel, please standby."_

"That will be the Ursus refugee transport." Dobermann continued. "In any case, Doctor, if nothing else, you are dismiss-"

"One moment!" Amiya walked forward. "Doctor, could you please accompany me down to the deck? I need to watch over the refugee transfer, but I would like it if you were beside me."

"Amiya, you don't actually have to personally go down and oversee it-" Closure started.

"I insist, Miss Closure." the young woman replied, her ears wagging. "With how many people are down there I have to personally watch their safety. Besides, it would be a good opportunity to open relations with the Ursus."

"...well I can't object to you, you are our leader after all." the engineer shrugged, her box-devil drone flapping its wings in agreement.

"Alright, Doctor! See you down there!" With that, Amiya walked out of the CIC with no small amount of excitement.

As they watched her go, Dobermann sighed. "Do watch over her, Doctor. Amiya's really enthusiastic about things, but she takes it over the top sometimes. And as far as we know, you are the one closest to her, next to Dr Kal'tsit."

"...oh, ok." He replied, still feeling a little out of his depth.

==|==

In contrast to the quiet atmosphere just a few minutes ago, large groups of crew now milled around the massive flight deck, making last-minute checks for the approaching flying vehicle. Some of them waved light batons to mark out the points of landing, while a few portable staircases had been lifted up to the deck, moved and operated by a few of the robots. The Ark slowed down, with all preparations made to ensure the smoothest transfer of the refugees, the communication channels buzzing with activity.

The only thing that was left, was the pickup.

"So, where's the transport?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, the other party prefers to not deactivate their cloaks until the last mo-" Amiya started, then pointed up, shouting, "-oh, there they are!"

In the air directly above them, a shimmering began to appear, then slowly dissipated, revealing the outlines of a ship like a cloth being pulled off an object. Brown and black colours began to appear, as light began to reflect off it.

Soulworker gasped, as he began to see what the ship was.

Dirty and tarred, the lander had a curved, bulbous hull in contrast to the clean sharp polygons of the Ark. The front section of its elongated shape was a bulging, insectoid mess of asymmetrical armour plate and yellow-eyed sensors that carried two roaring engines underneath, while the back portion held a whole series of locks and grapples that carried several four-armed insectoid beings.

"A _Fallen Skiff_?! That's the transport?" Soulworker blurted out with some panic. "Are you sure that we are handing these refugees to the right people?!"

"Hmmm?" Amiya asked confused. "Oh! There's nothing wrong with these...Elisni? Eliksni." She fumbled with the last word as if not fully used to using it.

"...what?"

"They are from the so-called 'House of Bears', and we've done some work with them in the past."

"House of...Bears?"

As Soulworker continued making robotic sounds of bewilderment, the Doctor looked at the Skiff more closely. At the front of the carrier and its sides, a blue banner had been hoisted - the emblem at the top was that of the Ursus Empire, the two-headed eagle and star, whereas the emblem beneath it, slightly smaller, was a minimalistic scrawl of a pair of bear ears and a wide-open jaw.

With the carrier making a final approach, the Fallen crew at the back dropped down, carrying wires and tools. With the help of the Rhodes' own people, they began to secure the craft, as it finally hit the deck with a bump.

As the engines of the alien vessel wound down, Soulworker turned to the Doctor. "You know, we should really make ourselves scarce, like, _right now._ "

"What? Why?" This time it was the Doctor's turn to be bewildered.

"The Fallen hate Guardians, like, a _lot_. Unless you want to kick off a diplomatic incident on the deck of your ship, by the Traveller get out now!" Soulworker moved straight towards his face, as if trying to herd him away from an incoming trainwreck.

"Doctor? What's going on?" Amiya asked, having seen the commotion.

In response, Soulworker popped out of existence, and into existence in front of Amiya. "Sorry, but we need to leave, like, I can't explain now, but the Fallen will get angry if they see a Guardian here."

"Eh? But the Captain is already coming out." Amiya answered.

Before any of them could react, the main entrance port on the Skiff began to hiss open. A large Eliksni, almost 1 and a half sizes of their subordinates, walked out and down the mobile staircase prepared for them. Dressed in armour painted white and blue with a pair of heavy rifles on their back, they stomped down the staircase with an air of strength and pride.

Soulworker disappeared from existence again, as Amiya went forward to greet him. After a moment of exchanging greetings - in an unknown language, no less, both of them shook hands, the large hands of the Fallen Captain in sharp contrast to the young executive's small frame.

Then, the Captain caught sight of the Doctor. Suddenly, the Fallen made a low snarl, marching past Amiya towards him.

_"Oh crap_ -"

"What is this foul thing here?" The captain suddenly growled, in broken English. Around him, the various Fallen crewmembers swerved around, staring.

The Doctor's eyes widened, as the Captain's left two hands reached back for a rifle.

"Wait." Amiya stepped back, in between the Captain and the Doctor. "Sorry, this is our new...strategic consultant. He's my….main assistant? He's helped us a lot. He's not...unfriendly." She spoke, using simple words to reach out to the alien.

Both the Doctor and the Captain stared at each other for a few moments. The Doctor, uncertainly, raised a hand making a wave.

The Captain snorted, smoke hissing out of his respirator. "Very well. I accept this thing's presence." With a snort he stood to the side, making a wide gesture towards the staircase. "Please, continue."

Amiya nodded, then touched a headset that she was wearing. "Bridge, we can start bringing up the refugees up now."

==|==

As the senior leadership of Rhodes watched from a corner, the Fallen slowly escorted the Ursus refugees - with what was left of their belongings and the clothes on their backs, climb up the staircase and disappear into the ship.

"So let me get this straight -" Soulworker asked, "So these Fallen were a bunch that defected from another Fallen House and made a new one loyal to the Ursus Emperor, in exchange for...representation, protection and access to resources?"

_"Pretty much,_ " Dobermann replied across the comms. _"We even had a big newspaper clipping of that event."_

"Funny then, because that must have been recent, otherwise I would have known about it in the Last City." Soulworker grumbled, then perked up a little. "But with all that material support, I can't imagine the Vanguard being happy. First, the Reef wouldn't let them touch Variks the Loyal, and now there's a bunch of other Fallen being protected and given resources by the Ursus. Hah!"

"Um, Soulworker?" Amiya asked, a bit hesitant to approach the Ghost. "Why do the Guardians hate the Eliksni so much? I know that they have a reputation of being pirates and they have attacked Terrans in the past, but..."

"Well, there's just been a lot of bad blood, and that's understating it." Soulworker started. "In a far off planet, long ago, the Fallen - back when they were more known as the Eliksni - were themselves blessed by the Traveller, who they called the Great Machine, but a catastrophic event known as the Whirlwind happened to them - the details are murky, but we know that the Traveler abandoned them during this event."

"Ever since," Soulworker continued, "They have been searching for the Traveler, and they found it here on Earth. And suffice to say, they are quite jealous that humanity has the Traveler, and ever since then they have been waging a centuries-long war to reclaim it from us to the point that they've nearly destroyed the Last City a few times. And we have kinda repaid the favour, by systematically destroying what's left of their leadership, their culture, their society."

"Which of course, makes me think - what exactly happened to them that a group of them would swear fealty to a Terran State, over their great end goal of recapturing the Traveler? Even the so-called Mithrax the Forsaken had a goal related to the Traveller." Soulworker concluded. "Like, the Awoken of the Reef forcing the House of Wolves to heel is one thing, but a Terran State, with so far fewer resources than the Reef? The disparity of strength is so huge that it boggles belief."

Both the Doctor and Amiya looked at each other, not so certain what to say about Soulworker's sudden tirade about the Fallen.

Finally, the Doctor said, "Amiya, that was quite well done, defusing that situation with that Captain so quickly."

"Eh he he," Amiya smiled under the praise, "You think so, Doctor?"

"I'm serious. I mean-"

"You know Eliksni. _You know Eliksni._ " Soulworker cut in, with no small amount of befuddlement. "Someone at your age, knowing Eliksni? I can count the number of Guardians or Ghosts that bother learning it with one hand - if I had one, of course."

"Ah, no, its…" Amiya looked a little embarrassed. "I only know some greetings and basic words, just some phrases I picked up from the rare Eliksni patients we had…"

"Still," the Doctor spoke. "That's a lot of effort you went just to communicate with them. And you kind of saved my life today with that, Amiya."

"Eh he he…" Amiya had no answer for that, instead turning redder by the minute. "Getting praise from the Doctor…"

As he watched his charge pull her hoodie over her head to hide her embarrassment, the Doctor thought of the photo in his room, before releasing a sigh.

_So, was this how I was…?_

Soon, the Skiff was fully loaded with the passengers, and after a brief exchange of goodbyes between Amiya and the Captain, it took to the skies, disappearing with a shimmer into the expanse of the skies.


	8. Chapter 2 - 2

_"I know what you are thinking. Great Lungmen? That sounds awfully arrogant and bombastic! But trust me, that reputation is well deserved. This independent Mobile City is one of the economic powerhouses of the Terran States, providing a large linchpin for the emerging global trade network on Earth, to the point that its currency, the Lungmen Dollar, is the main trade currency for most of the Terran States. Using this newfound monetary power, Lungmen has been investing heavily in technology, buying large samples of Golden Age technology to use in its infrastructure and establishing major research foundations. And the place is awfully safe and easy to navigate, so with enough Glimmer to exchange you are probably going to get a pretty decent life should you choose to move. So for those interested in working within the Terran States but want a familiar place to start with, Lungmen is always a good place to start."_

_\- Anonymous Post on an entrepreneur's forum_

==| Chapter 2 - 2 |==

The days began to go by.

"This...is the training deck, Doctor. As you can tell, we have outfitted the place with the best facilities the Ark can accommodate, to allow for everyone to prepare themselves as well as they can." A hooded, earphones wearing girl pointed out. "There's the shooting range, the rundown stage, and the arena...oh and there's Miss Dobermann drilling some of the newbies."

"Newbies?"

"Well I can't say they are newbies, seeing how all of them helped out in your rescue, and everyone's all gotten combat training. But they are still new - especially Team A4 and A1, they were just Reserves helping out with security before they got reformed into combat teams, and they have rather minimal experience."

"Coming from you, Frostleaf?"

"I've been doing this for a while." a sad smile appeared on her face - and the Doctor finally grasped how young she actually was.

"...ouch. You have my sympathies."

"It's fine." She waved it off, "Oh, and that's Team A6. In case you don't remember them, just look for the mismatched bunch that's always fighting."

A loud ruckus of an argument began to occur from the Arena, cut short by a stern shout from Dobermann.

==|==

"Doctor. Welcome to the Laboratories. What do you need?"

"Um, yeah, I'm here for that blood donation that I promised Warfarin - wait, aren't you Saria?"

"The very same. Why?" The tall, dragon-horned woman faced him with a deadpan expression, putting down a boxy, partially disassembled syringe gun she had been working on.

"Er, I saw you doing some combat training downstairs yesterday…"

"Hmmm. By my contract, I assist with various defensive and containment combat missions alongside my assistance in the Research Department. I could do more, but your HR department is particularly slow at processing my request…"

"Hang on, how many of the scientists here do active combat duty as well?"

"Quite a few. As it turns out, those who research Oripathy and the Originum Arts tend to be quite skilled at them as well. I wasn't involved in the mission to rescue you, but a good number of my colleagues were. This seat here, please."

The Doctor sat down in one of the laboratory's many stools. "Doesn't it detract from your normal work?"

"Well, most of the time Rhodes doesn't call us until our special skills are needed. So most of the time we are free to do our work." Saria pulled out a syringe from a box, sterilizing it with a dab of alcohol. "Roll up your right sleeve."

"OK. Just asking, do you have any sort of thing to help recall memories?"

"None, unfortunately. At least, not for your 'condition'."

"Eh?"

A little, bitter smile appeared on the scientist's face, as she brought an alcohol swab to his arm. "Everyone - and I don't understate - has their secrets, Doctor; including you and me."

==|==

Closure and the Doctor walked into an empty hall.

"And here are the shared recreational dorms...though most of them are empty at the moment. We haven't actually gotten the chance to start packing in furniture, you see - the Ark is a rather recent procurement - but I hope that once we reach Lungmen, we can start outfitting the place. It is rather tight in the cabins, after all, and we want people to actually mingle and let loose!"

"Honestly speaking, this ship seems rather empty at times. Where are all the crew, for one?"

"Well, most of the crew needs were reduced by our local drone force, they are the ones who do all the manpower-intensive stuff for maintenance and repairs. And for more heavy-duty stuff, we usually have some of the more specialized robots handle that. Though the aviation crew is something we can't automate so easily."

"Have people decided what are going to be inside these rooms?" The both of them stepped back out.

"Eh," Closure gave a shrug. "We are still soliciting ideas. Some people just want a nice shared space, others want something more lively, like a bar or cafe. We actually had Kroos and gang outright make a petition to bring a pizzeria in. Might be an interesting challenge."

"Still…" The Doctor stopped dead in his tracks. "...is that a shop?"

"That's the ship's commissary. You know, where we sell all the luxuries we manage to ship in." Closure suddenly turned to him with an opportunistic glance. "Are you interested in anything? Our stocks are running a little low but I'm sure we have something for you."

"...wait, you run this place?"

"Who else but me? I'm chief quartermaster, after all."

"Riiiight. In any case, I doubt I have any money-"

"Go ask Amiya, I'm sure she's been safeguarding your bank accounts; you definitely have all that back pay from the time you went missing. You should treat yourself~"

"...bit eager, aren't you?" the Doctor fixed her with a suspecting stare.

"Hehe." Closure simply made an impish smile in response.

==|==

"I'd never thought I would see the day where I would see a Guardian doing paperwork," Soulworker grumbled, staring at a stack of paperwork in the Doctor's in-tray.

"Is it not a thing for them?" The Doctor asked, pulling out an internal memo regarding the 'standard' composition of the combat teams.

"It is more of a stereotype, but you know, stereotypes have some basis in reality. Paperwork is like anathema to Guardians; time stuck in the Tower sifting papers is less time spent punching or shooting enemies of humanity. There's a joke that if you want to see a Guardian scream and grab at the floor like a demon hosed with holy wate-"

DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

"-aaaaand there goes my joke." Soulworker pouted, barely audible over the shrill shriek of the alarm.

"The fire alarm?" The Doctor stood up. "Is this a drill-"

It suddenly cut off.

"Attention to all personnel. Apologies for the alarm, that's...that's Skyfire having an accident down in Research. Sorry about that."

"Skyfire? Isn't that the researcher with the, ugh, 'self-immolation' issue?" The Doctor asked.

"Don't let her hear you say that. Anyways," Soulworker continued, "Speaking of Guardian business again, we got to at least start getting you familiarized with the Light, since there isn't going to be much chance of us getting an actual firearm for Traveler knows how long."

"How are we going to get started with that?"

"Well...there are three schools of 'thought' that defines a Guardian - the Hunter, the Warlock, and the Titan. You used Nova Bomb in Chernobog, alongside playing a Stormcaller, both of which are Warlock tricks - but you may or may not wish to walk the path of a Warlock."

"Path? Wait, are these 'schools' more involved in things other than using their powers?"

"Yeah. I say 'school', but it doesn't really fit, it is more like a role that each Guardian has in relevance to the Last City. Hunters scour the wilds outside the City and do sneaky rogue stuff, Warlocks stay shut up in the Tower studying the Light, the world, the Darkness-"

"-Darkness?"

"Hey, let me finish." Soulworker spun his shell in annoyance. "And then you have the Titans, who mainly act as the main defenders of the city but really just flex muscles all over the Wall all day. Ok, that last one is a bit of a stretch, but you kind of get the point. Basically, what kind of Guardian are you?"

"I don't…" The Doctor pulled out another memo - a request and proposal for a better way to separate blood from Infected and non-Infected - while furrowing his brow. "...see why I have to care about that at the moment? I'm busy here at Rhodes not at the Last City, not exactly a combatant either…not to mention that we have to keep my powers and you under wraps."

"That's true, but we have to pre-"

DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

Another fire alarm cut into the conversation, before suddenly being brought to a halt itself.

"Sorry, sorry!" A young girl's voice hurriedly took over the comms. "Eyjafalla accidentally set off the smoke detectors when helping Skyfire out - it's fine, it's fine! Just continue what you are doing-"

The crackling sound of a handset hurriedly dropped into its cradle filled the intercoms for a bit.

"Is the Command Center being staffed by the B-Team today?" Soulworker asked, sounding more than a little annoyed.

The Doctor looked at the date. "Yes. I guess they still need a while to get acclimatized…we definitely some sort of fire safety expert with how common flames are on this ship."

"Anyways," Soulworker pushed on, "Like I was saying, we need to get you some training because you still have got to prepare for the time where you have to use your powers. I mean, sure, right now, its probably going to be useless, but considering that crazy bitch just disembowelled you three times in less than a couple of minutes, we got to, at least, make sure you can at least be of use in the field."

"OK, OK," The Doctor leaned back in his chair, staring at Soulworker while clasping his hands together, "Look, I agree with the sentiment but at this point of time-"

" _Not now_ , obviously," Soulworker almost hissed. "You are busy, but once we get to Lungmen and get some breathing space, we need to get started."

"Got it." the Doctor raised his hands wearily, admitting defeat. "By the way, for somebody so nonchalant about everything, you are awfully assertive about me."

Soulworker hovered stock-still in midair, unmoving.

"Ho ho," The Doctor sat up, leaning closer to the Ghost. "Did I hit...a ne-"

"By the Traveller _fuck off_." Soulworker spun off and disappeared, reappearing only at the end of the room. "No, you don't get to make such comparisons about me. I do whatever I want-" He disappeared, and popped right into the Doctor's face, making him flinch, "-and you just take my advice or leave it, capiche?"

"Somebody's really on edge today."

"Yes, because I keep getting interrupted by _idiots_." Soulworker hissed, before retreating. "Anyways! As I've been trying to tell you for a while, you should start trying to experiment with using Originium as a conduit for Lig-"

DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

"OK, BY THE TRAVELLER'S BROKEN RIGHT HEMISPHERE WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Soulworker screamed as the alarm blared for a third time.

"Attention, attention," This time, the stern but very-much-welcomed voice of Nearl was on the intercom. "Calling Drs Silence and Maxwell to Testing Area 3. There has been a bit of an incident regarding Miss Ifrit."

"So today is the day the Pyros all decided to start burning up the place. Brilliant," Soulworker grumbled, as the Doctor got up from his seat and pulled on his jacket.

"Well, nothing we can do." the Doctor sighed. "By the way, Soulworker, what were you trying to say again?"

"Nevermind, we can discuss this when you aren't trying to douse a literal and metaphorical fire."

==|==

Finally, after five days of journeying, Rhodes Island had arrived at Lungmen.

As the bridge crew communicated with the local authorities, the Ark slowly manoeuvred into a space that had been designated for them, at the edges of the city. The tons of steel and sand beneath them were shifted apart by the meter long tracks that lay beneath the Ark, as the ship's onboard AI and the command teams tried to manoeuvre the massive construct as close to the city as possible. On the other side, teams Lungmen's own berthing crews watched, preparing to secure the Ark as soon as it stopped.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Amiya waited at the slipway.

"So, Amiya, have you been to Lungmen?" The Doctor asked.

"No, why?"

"Do you know anything of this place?"

"Hmmm…" Amiya put a finger to her chin, thinking. "Hmmm...well, Lungmen is one of the most well-developed cities of the Terrans, rich enough that their currency is the main trading currencies among the Terran States. Even though they are just an independent city-state, they are rather successful! Though there are a few other places, like Siesta, Lungmen is the one that's the most impressive. But most importantly, they are not averse to working with us Infected unlike some of the other states."

"I see."

The rumbling of the Ark slowly came to a stop, and the massive landship was finally in place. Lungmen's berthing teams began to secure the ship, throwing out ropes for the crew to catch. The slipway shuddered, then slid out to the whirring of its driving motor.

As the slipway hit the other side, the Doctor shouldered his bag, walking down it with Amiya. Two police officers, bearing badges with dragon heads waited at the other end of the slipway, accompanying a metal detector. As the duo got closer, the first of the officers extended a hand. "Passports."

Amiya and the Doctor passed him their passports with a paper slip inside. A quick ruffle, before the officer, placed a stamp on the passport and returned them with a smile. "Welcome to Great Lungmen."

Passing into the cavernous substructure of the city, they arrived into an arrival hall, modestly decorated yet empty save for a few guards and cleaners. As they passed through, a call came through on their earpieces.

_"Doctor, Amiya,"_ Dobermann spoke. _"There's been a change in plans. You are not going to liaise with the Lungmen Guard Department, for now, you are heading for Government Hall."_

"Eh? Why?"

_"There's one final obstacle to the agreement, and Dr Kal'tsit needs both of your inputs."_

"But, but it's been so many days!" Amiya exclaimed, albeit softly. "What's been taking them so long?"

_"I'm not sure, but if anything, I believe the Lungmen side is demanding more concessions. We have also been told to immediately lend support to the L.G.D.'s patrols, so there's definitely something going on at least. Good Luck._ "

The call cut. The Doctor and Amiya looked at each other, with no small amount of worry.

Something shuffled in the Doctor's bag. "Oh joy, negotiations-"

"Be quiet." Doctor quickly hushed Soulworker, who stopped bumping around in the bag.

Continuing to walk through the concourse, they arrived at an underground road, where a large black car - shaped in the style of a pre-Collapse design - was waiting, with a well-dressed chauffeur.

"Dr Maxwell? Miss Amiya? I'm your chauffeur. Allow me to assist."

The man relieved Amiya of her bag, whereas the Doctor kept hold of his. "If you don't mind, I rather hold on to my stuff."

"No problem. Please, get in," the chauffeur replied with a smile, opening the back door of the car.

The Doctor and Amiya quickly bundled in, and soon after, the car took off. Driving along the underground for a bit, it rolled up a ramp, out of the substructure and onto the ground level of the city. As sunlight touched the car, the Doctor looked out, and were immediately struck with awe.

"Whoa…"

In contrast to the squat buildings that littered Chernobog, skyscrapers of dizzying height rose from the metal structure of Lungmen's mobile platforms, so many stories high that one struggled that they could remain standing when the city moved. And it was not just one or a few - around the car the both of them could see many of those skyscrapers, and surrounding those skyscrapers were smaller buildings of yet respectable height - and not to mention the highways that soared around them, ferrying trains and vehicles to their various destinations.

"It looks...amazing," the Doctor murmured. Rhodes's Ark was a respectable vehicle of war and size, but Lungmen...he remained utterly speechless and the scale of civil engineering on display.

_"You haven't seen anything yet. If you are impressed by this, the Last City will knock your shoes off-"_

The Doctor said nothing, unable to reply silently to Soulworker's psychic call. But even then, he noticed Amiya herself gawking out of the window.

"Such a tall building…" She whispered.

"You know," the Doctor asked the chauffeur, "how does Lungmen manage to build such tall buildings - and all those highways - on a Mobile City?"

"Sorry, I'm just a driver, I don't know much about this." The chauffeur replied with a laugh. "I would say, though, that its thanks to our skilled engineers and the government under Chief Wei."

"Hmmm." The Doctor resettled back into his seat, continuing to watch the sight and the thongs of people busy with their various tasks. Thinking of the task ahead, a dark portent settled around him.

The car soon arrived in front of a squat, yet futuristic-looking government building, a cubist structure of nine stories covered with glass panels. An orientalist statue flanked by dragon gargoyles decorated the courtyard in front of it, an ode to the age of myth that preceded the Collapse.

Amiya retrieved her bag from the chauffeur, and she followed the Doctor up the steps. Few people were present, save a single aide that bowed their head at their approach.

"Rhodes Island?" He asked. At the Doctor's nod, he bowed again and held up a hand towards the elevator. "This way."

After a short ride on the lift, the trio began to walk through grandly decorated hallways. Unlike its exterior, the Lungmen Government Hall was decorated with extravagant style - the hallways were paved with carpets, the walls were decorated with pictures of dragons, mythical creatures and various important persons, while the air was effused with a light-smelling aroma and the bathed in comfortable incandescent light.

The entourage came upon a set of double doors decorated with shining golden handles, at this point the aide opened the left door slightly and peeked his head inside.

"The rest of the Rhodes Island entourage is here."

After informing their arrival, the man pushed the door fully open, and Amiya and the Doctor stepped in.

Three people were inside, sitting at a large conference table.

The first person, sitting directly opposite the room's entrance and the largest in the room, was...flamboyant, to say the least. Aside from the fact that his skin was furred, everything about the man - especially the sanguine smile he had at the moment - screamed _aristocrat_. His head was topped with a fiery orange-red mane with two magnificent prongs poking from the side towards the back; his eyebrows and beard also of the same prominent colour, reflected by his clothes - with red-orange robes under a deep black jacket, inlaid with jade tassels and fine silk.

He looked at the Doctor and Amiya with curiosity, quaintly balancing an ornate pipe on his right hand.

The second person, sitting at the left side of the table, was a blue-haired woman with a pair of dragon horns on her head, wearing a formal police uniform with the same dragon head badge as the immigration officers they met earlier. The difference between her and those officers, however, was that the rank insignia on her shoulders were more elaborate and that she wore a stern, no-nonsense expression.

_Somewhat like Dobermann_ , the Doctor mused in his head.

The last person sat at the foot of the conference table, had white hair flanked by a pair of lynx ears and wore a doctor's jacket. Just as the Doctor and Amiya entered, she turned around, facing them.

"Dr Kal'tsit!" Amiya said in greeting.

The person from _that_ photo from the Doctor's room said nothing, her yellow-green eyes darting between Amiya and the Doctor. "Amiya...Dr. Maxwell."

Before either of them could continue, a polite cough came from the back.

"Well, Dr Kal'tsit," the aristocratic dragon-man spoke, his tone polite and compelling. "You have brought your representatives. Shall we continue with the final discussions?"


	9. Chapter 2 - 3

_"I know that cooperation between the City and the Terran States is a big thing on this deal, but honestly, looking at the history of Lungmen City, are we sure that we want to sell Golden Age tech to them in the first place? It's not like that there aren't other places that can't help us link us up with the Terran States, like Laterano, or Londinium. Yeah, Laterano is not that connected economically and Victoria is a crapshoot with the recent turmoil...but Lungmen? Lungmen isn't the cleanest of slates either. You have the various triad factions going at each other in an underground war, and only recently did this Wei Yenwu guy come in with his wife and suddenly dominate the political scene in the place. And we have reports that this guy isn't exactly the nicest of fellows even with his major projects in advancing the progression of the city-state."_

_"Yeah, but here's the thing - we are the nicest people on this planet, we have a duty to dictate who gets the shinies. We are Guardians, we aren't going to backstab people while doing our job..."_

_\- Unknown Correspondence during a round of trade talks between Lungmen and the Last City_

==| Chapter 2 - 3 |==

"Very well." Kal'tsit replied.

"Dr Maxwell, Amiya - the man who just spoke is Chief Wei Yenwu, the Chief Executive of Lungmen, whereas the woman beside him would be Superintendent Chen of the Lungmen Guard Department - who you were originally going to originally liaise with."

Both of them made curt nods as their names were mentioned.

"Please, take a seat," Chief Wei welcomed, pointing with his pipe.

Amiya and the Doctor did so, seating next to Kal'tsit. Meanwhile, an aide walked in, bearing cups of tea for both of them, leaving as soon as they placed them in front of them.

"So, continuing from where we left off - Dr Kal'tsit has spent a good amount of time trying to convince me that Rhodes Island is not merely capable, but _needed_ to hold off the Reunion Movement."

"Which I am very sceptical of," Superintendent Chen added.

"And I am very inclined to believe her, as I trust in my Guard Department," Chief Wei continued, not in the slightest bothered by his subordinate's interruption. "Nevertheless, your organization has its credentials and the unrest situation has gotten most serious, which is why I have originally acquiesced to the previous agreement - that is, to allow some stockpiling of resources in my city, but with recent developments, I have been prompted to rethink my stance."

"What exactly would be those reports?" Kal'tsit asked.

"I'll be blunt. Reports of Rhodes Island's involvement in Chernobog."

Amiya turned to look at Kal'tsit, who did not return the look.

"I feel it is very curious," Chief Wei pushed on, "that the premier Infected focused organization of Terra, would be coincidentally involved in an Ursus city just it was suffering from a rebellion orchestrated by Infected themselves. Just happenstance, or is it something more?"

The question hung in the silence like a pointed spear.

"...That's a spurious accusation you have there, Chief Wei," Amiya finally spoke. "Despite what it seems, Rhodes Island has zero relations with the Reunion Movement. In fact, you should be aware that we have made a public statement about this, a few weeks ago."

"Yes, I am aware," the Chief Executive answered. "But the fact remains that we do not sufficient information on the situation, and with the developing situation, Lungmen cannot accept a third party with suspect links to coordinate operations within its limits. Unless of course, you are willing to volunteer information that would convince us of both your trustworthiness and your capability."

"I do not see why Rhodes should be compelled to reveal our motives, considering the line of our recent actions." Kal'tsit replied. "And considering that you know of the events that transpired in Chernobog, perhaps that should be enough to convince you of our abilities."

"You are not in a position to compel us to follow your demands," the Superintendent replied, with an almost scathing tone.

"I think you are the one who's mistaken," Kal'tsit replied, almost cooly. " _Lungmen_ is the one that's not exactly in a negotiable position. The threat of Reunion is something this city has not exactly faced before."

"Insisting that the LGD is incapable of handling a bunch of rioters is not winning you any favours here."

"Thinking that Reunion is just another bunch of two-bit thugs or displaced refugees you can just haul off to prison is precisely what will get Lungmen thrown into chaos, however."

"You do realize that we very much understand your point, right? But if you continue to antagonize us instead of offering details-"

"Superintendent."

Chief Wei cut through the incoming argument. "Calm yourself."

"...yes, sir."

The Chief Executive picked up his cup and took a sip, "To get back to the main issue...if you are not willing to reveal your motives in Chernobog, well, I can overlook that based on your good reputation. The question of your ability still remains, however. The LGD is after all, more familiar with Lungmen then you are, and at present the need for your continued presence past the limits of the original agreement is questionable."

The man put down the cup with an air of finality. "In essence, you are asking us for something we cannot give, purely because we may not need it."

"Chief Wei," Amiya began. "Are you aware of how Reunion seized Chernobog?"

"My advisors have proposed some theories, but perhaps seeing that you have most likely witnessed how it happened, please elaborate."

"We don't know much, but it is clear that it was incredibly well-planned." Amiya continued. "As you are aware, it takes between five to eight weeks for a Mobile City to move from the path of a Catastrophe. However, during that period up to the incident, Chernobog failed to move - for various reasons. Our Catastrophe Messengers were for some reason unable to contact local authorities about the situation, and over the weeks there were several reports of the mobility mechanisms in Chernobog failing for various reasons."

"Um-hmm. And you are saying that these were all orchestrated by Reunion?"

"We cannot say for sure," Amiya said, gesturing on the table, "but the events leading up in the past few weeks collaborate with that claim. A few weeks ago, leaks began to appear in the local news of a Catastrophe about to hit Chernobog, which helped scare off the local trade network around the city. Protests at this point started cropping about the sudden shortage of jobs and necessities, which stretched the local Ursus military thin. The city government also started getting paralyzed over the question of the Catastrophe and the riots. On the days leading up to the Catastrophe, Reunion suddenly launched large scale protests across the city, and many of the Ursus military and government began to evacuate. And finally, Reunion has declared their city theirs, which largely points that they were behind it all."

"That's an excellent analysis," Chief Wei replied, with Superintendent Chen nodding in agreement. "Please continue."

Amiya took a sip from her proffered cup of tea. "Of course, the question right now pertains to their next objective. With the Catastrophe having hit Chernobog and immobilized it completely, we believe that Reunion's next move would be to rebuild and rearm. It's also important to consider's Ursus's possible response, as they are likely to respond to Reunion's actions in kind. Which is why they need to overcome their resource shortages, and to that end, they will target Lungmen, with its close proximity and wealth."

"Hmm." Chief Wei got out of his chair, walking about. "To be frank, that was the conclusion that a good number of my advisors came to after analyzing the news around Chernobog. That said, the original assessment was that the LGD was more than capable of handling any spillover of violence as is...but what you are saying is correct…" He turned back to look at Amiya, "I believe what you are trying to say, is that this attempt to extract resources from Lungmen will not be a simple one-of attempt, but a constant state of affairs?"

"That is correct, Chief Wei."

"Harrumph. This is certainly a situation not to be trifled with. The LGD is not exactly equipped to take on large scale threats."

"With regards to Lungmen's situation," Superintendent Chen asked, "What exact skills does Rhodes have to bring to the table that will help to disassemble the Reunion threat?"

"Well for one, the Infected understand ourselves more than any other, which makes us a perfect fit to counter an Infected-led organization." Kal'tsit pointed out.

"You could go into more detail than that."

"...Dr. Maxwell, I believe this is your moment."

The Doctor, who had been following the conversation closely to this point, stood up. Putting his bag on the table, he unzipped it (with Soulworker gazing at him from the bottom) and pulled out a laptop.

"Greetings." He began. "I'm Dr. Maxwell, one of Rhodes' leading Oripathy researchers as well as strategic consultant for its security teams and protective details. I have with me a brief analysis of Reunion field and units how Rhodes Island has developed in order to counter them."

Lungmen's ruler gestured with his pipe. "Continue."

The doctor nodded. "First off, it should be important to note that Reunion has rapidly incorporated Ursus military equipment and tactics, something we already observed during the fall of Chernobog - Reunion had already looted Ursus equipment stores by the start of the incident, and halfway through, they already made heavy use of Ursus drones to scout and attack enemy targets We also have unconfirmed reports of ex-military officials among their leaders. Another vital part of note is that Reunion has secured the support of a large number of Sarkaz mercenaries, and as such are more than capable of going toe to toe with the LGD. This all in all means that we have to treat Reunion on the level of a military threat, and normal anti-riot tactics will not work against them."

"As for their individual tactics…" The Doctor opened up his laptop, tapping on it. "Like I said, Ursus playbook, but with the uniqueness of Infected. For one, they have a large number of Arts users due to Oripathy, both skilled at long- and short-ranged Arts. The numbers that they used to overcome Chernobog will not be present, but they will be able to utilize the individual strength of their members in a fight, and if raiding Lungmen is their main objective, they will have incredible strength at relocating and manoeuvring through the city."

"...which requires them to have infiltrated the city in the first place." the Superintendent replied. "And we have been isolating the Infected refugees from Chernobog in a special area, near the sections that already have Infected populations."

"Correct. But judging from the level of coordination already seen in Chernobog, I find it difficult to not believe that any such infiltration attempts would have been planned in advance before the fall of Chernobog, or that Reunion will be making use of those Infected populations as cover for their operations."

"Again, we have started monitoring those settlements when Chernobog fell.. Whatever they attempt to do, it will not get past us."

"Even considering the various uses of Arts?"

Just as he said that the laptop lit up with noise and light. _"Doctor! We found something - there's an Ursus evacuation craft hidden below city section 14E! They've been trying to use a Caster to hide it!"_ A young man's voice came out of the speakers, full of excitement.

"What?!" the Superintendent exclaimed in disbelief.

The Doctor quickly pulled out a microphone from the bag and attached it to the computer. "Nice job, Adnachiel. Team A4, move to secure it-"

Suddenly, shouts filled the line, followed by a loud crash.

"Adnachiel? Team A4? Respond, Team A4!"

==|==

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, within the metal underbelly of one of its gargantuan mobile sections, a young, white-haired man with a halo hovering over the left side of his head, was reloading his crossbow. He breathed with relief, looking down at the body of a large man with a bolt through his shoulder, which was lying beside him and the doorway he took cover behind.

"Sorry, Doctor," Adnachiel said, tugging at the heavy strings of his weapon as he held it down with his boot. "Looks like there are Reunion here already."

As he spoke, the sounds of fighting could be heard, as his teammates struggled with a bunch of terrorists that were hiding in the makeshift dock. Within the commotion, the stolen evacuation craft's engine rumbled, as its pilot prepared to make an escape.

The string clicking into place, he slid a bolt onto the weapon, raising it up -

Just as a hooded man rounded the corridor. Shocked, the Sankta fired his weapon out of reflex, and the bolt whistled down the hallway.

Before the bolt even hit the man, there was a screech and a piece of metal burst out of the panelling of the left wall. The bolt harmlessly thudded against it, and immediately the entire panel shot back at Adnachiel.

"Eep!" Barely, Adnachiel flattened himself against the wall, and the metal panel shrieked horribly as it crumpled on impact with something behind him.

The hooded man didn't even bother with a follow-up attack, as he simply dived through the door in a hurry.

"Steward! Arts Caster coming up behind you!" Adnachiel yelled.

"I-I see him!" A blue light filled the room, only for the bolt it emanated from to harmlessly fizzle out on the opposite wall." Sorry!"

Adnachiel pulled at his crossbow again, loading another bolt, before entering the dock. Around the stolen craft, five bodies lay on the floor, while the rest of Adnachiel's team - to his relief - were still standing The squad's medic was tending to their squad leader, while a girl was slamming a tower shield into the last enemy. Their Caster, another white-haired man like Adnachiel, was kneeling, loosely holding his wand as he took multiple deep breaths.

One last man ran out of the escape craft, trying to dash for the rope. In one swift moment,

Adnachiel aimed and fired. With a scream, the man fell off the side of the craft and down onto the sand below.

"Steward, are you alright?" Adnachiel moved to help his friend up.

"Y-yes. I just...I just need a break…"

Just at that moment, the hooded man stepped out again, an aura of red surrounding him.

"ANSEL! MELANTHA!" the squad's defender shouted, ducking behind her tower shield. "SCATTER!"

On instinct, Steward and Adnachiel ran away from each other, desperately trying to get out of the caster's view. Adnachiel dove behind someone's body, before turning around with shaky arms to look -

-only to watch as his squad leader ate a harrowing blast of red.

"MELANTHA!"

The haze faded almost instantly afterwards, revealing a bruised, profusely bleeding girl - and yet, without regard for her wounds, she ran straight for the caster.

In one swift motion, she slammed into him, running him straight through with her blade, before colliding horribly with a metal wall.

As their medic ran to help their leader, Team A4, out of exhaustion, collapsed unprofessionally onto the floor, breathing heavily. Pushing himself off the dead man's body, Adnachiel reached for his headset, arm shaking as he adjusted the mike.

"Doctor? We...we've secured the craft."

==|==

_We've also managed to take down the Caster as well...although he's kinda dead, and Melantha took a full Arts blast..."_

"I see," the Doctor replied to the young Sankta, understanding his exhaustion. "I'll ask the LGD to secure the craft afterwards. Watch out for enemies and take care of yourselves."

He turned away from the laptop, and back to the discussion - where Chief Wei and Superintendent Chen were watching him.

"You have some nerve, bringing your combat operations into my office." The Chief Executive began - albeit with a tone that indicated that he was more amused than irritated by the stunt.

"It was mere coincidence, Chief Wei," the Doctor began. "I didn't expect that turn of events to happen so soon. Nevertheless, it proves the point that we have been trying to make - that Rhodes Island has the experience and capabilities combating Reunion that your LGD does not. Though my apologies to Madam Chen - I didn't mean to show up her department or anything…"

"It's fine. Judging from what has happened, after all, the proof that Lungmen is in some way unprepared for this threat is true. It would be presumptuous to demand any more from my offices."

"Then we have an agreement?" Kal'tsit asked.

"Of course. But just one last thing…" The pipe twirled in the man's hand again.

"Oh?"

"With this threat being of an unprecedented scale, there will obviously be some level of damage to Lungmen. While I believe that your organization will exercise restraint out of good faith, in the case of any incidents that cause damage to Lungmen, I hope that Rhodes Island will be willing to help out in any disaster relief or assistance operations for the city."

"Of course, Chief Wei," Amiya replied. "It would be in our interests. But...I would like to ask that any such operations or movements will be agreed to by both sides before acting, for better coordination."

"I agree to this, although I will empower the LGD to act on this on my behalf. Is that alright with you?"

"Yes."

"Then we have an agreement."

==|==

"Dr Kal'tsit? Please don't give Dr Maxwell a hard time…"

An hour later, the three Rhodes Islanders were back on the Ark, meeting in the Doctor's office. Soulworker hovered beside them, watching them in turn, whereas Dr. Kal'tsit sat on the Doctor's table rifling through a pile of documents she had demanded from the Doctor, while Amiya watched her with some trepidation.

After looking through the papers, Kal'tsit unceremoniously dumped them back onto the Doctor's table. "Well, everything seems in order…except for this."

She looked at Soulworker.

"Not that I don't trust you, but rarely does an envoy of the Traveller appear without reason - or when the Last City has taken interest in something. And, I believe, that you are aware that your presence - and what Maxwell is - will cause plenty of headaches for us in the future."

Soulworker returned her firm gaze with one of his own.

"Whatever the Vanguard thinks of you or Rhodes Island, or your own personal opinion, it matters not to me. I'm here to do my job as a Ghost, and be a companion to a Guardian. And whatever the ramifications of Maxwell being a Guardian, well, he chose this path - and I gave it to him."

"Wait what?" The Doctor blurted out, while Amiya's eyes widened in shock.

"Explain." Kal'tsit demanded.

"Maxwell was dying in Chernobog. He would not have lasted the night, even if he had somehow managed to get back to the Ark. At that point, I happened upon him while trying to find my way out of the city, and he was, well, determined to keep living. Not because he was scared of death, mind you...but because he wanted to finish his duty. His duty to the two of you, and Rhodes Island." Soulworker glanced at Amiya before turning back to Kal'tsit. "And so I gave him that second chance, because for all that determination he had, well, his body was literally disintegrating in that cell."

Amiya raised her hands to her mouth, while Kal'tsit closed her eyes and sighed. A shadow of tiredness passed over her for a moment, before her stoic mask reasserted itself.

"You never told me this," the Doctor looked at Soulworker.

"I...uh...forgot to mention that." The Ghost replied.

Meanwhile, Kal'tsit got to her feet. "Well...I will not object to your presence as long as you do not cause trouble in Rhodes. In any case, I will be attending to the Medical Department."

"Eh? Dr Kal'tsit, you look tired." Amiya quickly said. "Don't you need a rest?"

"I am fine," she firmly replied, brushing off her concern. "In any case…"

She turned to the Doctor, her yellow eyes staring into his. After looking him over from top to bottom, she folded her arms and sighed.

"So...Maxwell. Welcome back to Rhodes."

And on that word she turned around, making straight for the door, exiting without saying another word, leaving the rest of them.

"Now, I don't mean to be rude…" Soulworker said, slowly turning to the Doctor, "...but do the two of you have a history or something? First, that photo, and that sort of attitude..."

The Doctor wasn't listening. He was fixated on what Soulworker had said earlier.

_...because he wanted to finish his duty. His duty to the two of you, and Rhodes Island._

In the midst of his thoughts, however, something heavy knocked him out of his stupor. He looked down, and saw Amiya tightly hug him, burying her face in his chest.

"You...became a Guardian for us...I'm sorry, Doctor…" Muffled by his clothes, the Doctor could still hear some sniffling from the young woman hugging him.

And yet, even as he lifted her hand to stroke her ears, he could not shake off the ever-constant feeling he had since he awoke - a feeling not dissimilar to a lost soul in the middle of nowhere.


	10. Interlude 2: Of Young Souls Connected By A Thread

_"Zavala."_

_"Ikora."_

_"Any luck?"_

_"No. The DEC, like the rest, have said the same thing. They have agreed to help self-police the rest of the Hunters when it comes to this regard, however."_

_[Sighing] "We really should just make the Young Wolf the Hunter Vanguard already. Or perhaps, Ana Bray. When they come back from Mars."_

_"Ana...I don't know much about Hunters, but with the tales of her running around with Rasputin, I have my doubts whether the Hunters will accept anything from her. She would probably refuse as well. And the Young Wolf..."_

_"You want to say he's inexperienced, didn't you?"_

_"...it would be hard to call one of the most accomplished Guardians of the past decade 'inexperienced', but it is what it is. Kill count does not equate to the skill of leadership, or the experience required. And save leading the first Extermination Team against Uldren, he still has much to learn."_

_"With the clock ticking, we may have to forcefully put either of them into the role to correal the Hunters if we are to honour the Treaty."_

_"Perhaps we have to, but it would go against the founding principles of the Vanguard. Or at least, a signal that we are doing so. The change into a full military has been disquieting for many within the City Walls and out. It has been...humbling, to speak to all the Titan Orders about the changes, and each concern they raise weighs heavy on me."_

_"I don't disagree, but...times are changing, Zavala. We may have to force the Hunters to responsibility."_

_"I am prepared for the worst, Ikora. But I am no less disturbed by the possibility."_

\- _Recorded conversation on the Tower_

==| Interlude 2: Of Young Souls Connected By A Thread |==

_"To all Infected refugees; please line up in an orderly manner to collect your food and water rations. Please refrain from cutting queues so that we can distribute food out as quickly as possible…"_

Outside a large tent that Lungmen erected for food and water distribution, a long line of Ursus waited, under the watch of various heavily armed guards, all bearing riot shields and shock mauls. Around them, announcements played on loop, stifling the already depressing atmosphere as the refugees shuffled forward to collect the most basic of necessities.

A young girl was in that queue, following her fellow refugees. A blue worn-out hood covered her head, pulled so low that when she looked down, no one could catch a glimpse of her face.

Which did not escape the attention of one of the guards. The LGD officer walked over to her, stowing his shock maul and tapping her on the shoulder. "Um, Miss. Sorry, but no hoods. You cannot hide your face."

The girl almost seized up with panic. Looking up at the officer, she gingerly pulled off her hood, revealing under her ursine ears, a once-carefully maintained hairstyle, now messy and tussled. As she looked at the officer with the most innocent of faces, her heart palpitated with panic.

For a few moments, the officer examined her, before retreating, waving her on as if embarrassed himself.

The girl looked at him, before sighing in relief. She looked - for the umpteenth time - at the edges of the refugee camp, at some of the alleyways that led between buildings.

They were already blocked, with tall police barriers completely sealing any way out save the main checkpoints. If she was identified here, any hope of escape would be near impossible.

She looked around, taking in the entire refugee camp from her vantage point in the camp's courtyard. Her parents had told her of the many tall buildings - skyscrapers - that Lungmen built, but she could see none save the occasional glass pillar in the far off distance. Here, block after block of overbuilt, rickety flats could only be seen, darkened with age and bearing neon and LED signs that had switched off when their original owners had been evicted out. Any real sign of Lungmen's power, or its supposed advancement, were in the gadgets of their wardens, the drones that patrolled above - or the tracking chips in the bands the refugees wore.

_No haven for the Infected, as they like to say..._

"Next." Buried in her thoughts, the girl hadn't noticed that it was her turn. She shuffled forward into the tent, walking towards a sitting city official with a barcode gun, who was flanked by two more police officers.

The girl held out her wrist, panic popping up in her heart again. The official, however, simply scanned her band, and almost languidly, called out, "Nex-"

"W-wait!" the girl hurriedly reached for her pocket, pulling out a set of three tokens and fumbling them over. "The kids…"

"Oh, right." the official sat up, taking the tokens and scanning them in turn. "It's you again...remember, three extra sets." As she handed back the tokens, one of the guards placed two bags on the table - one holding containers of food, the other holding four large bottles of water.

"Thank you." The girl answered hurriedly, grabbing the two bags and walking off. For a moment she wobbled, struggling with the weight, before steadying herself, and walked away from the tent.

Various groups of people littered the square, from the refugees gathering to chat or smoke, to squads of the Lungmen guards simply taking a break. Even as a young girl carrying two bags of burden soldiered past her, none of them lifted a finger or offered help.

"I still can't believe that Ursus let their Infected problem fester until this happened. Now it's our problem as well…" A group of officers had been whispering animatedly, only shutting up when the girl got close to them.

She walked on further, near the block of flats that were now her temporary home. A group of men, standing at the side, watched her, one of them whispering as she got close. When she walked past, one called out. "Hey, do you need our help?"

She increased her pace.

"Its ok, girl! Just come over here and help us out with somethin-"

The girl broke into a run, gripping the bags as tightly as she could. The men uttered curses, but none of them gave chase. Only when she reached the lift landing did she put down the bags steadying herself against a wall to take a breather.

Keeping a wary eye out, she pressed the lift's call button.

==|==

"Big Sis Misha is back!"

As the girl stepped into the room that now served as her temporary housing, two kids - younger than her - got up and raced to meet her. Both of them grabbed a hold of the bags, and carefully set them down.

The room had been cleared out of all furniture, save a single large mattress that sat in the corner, with another child sleeping on it. In another corner were a few other bags and clothes, worn and tattered to some extent - which was what remained of their worldly possessions.

Immediately, the group began distributing their food among each of them, passing out utensils among each other. One of the kids - a girl with pigtails - turned and asked the boy on the mattress, "Do you want to eat?"

The boy on the mattress, weakly shaking his head. "Sorry…I can't…"

"But you have to!" The girl complained. "If you don't eat, how will you recover?"

"Will I...even...reco-"

"Don't say that!" Misha lightly chided. "Come here."

The boy slowly pushed himself up, and carefully crawled over, joining the group. When he got close, Misha gently took a hold of his shirt, lifting it up.

The originum growth on his belly, small as it was, stood out like a horrible sore. As Misha gently touched the skin around it, the boy shivered.

_It doesn't seem to have changed much…_

Misha let go of the shirt, and handed the boy his box of food. "If you don't want it to hurt more, you have to eat. So, eat." She said, forcing a stern tone.

The boy pouted for a bit, then opened his box, picking up his fork.

Misha watched him for a bit, then opened her own box. Inside, sat a meagre portion of flour-based noodles doused in dark sauce, with only a few slices of some meat and vegetables accompanying it.

"I don't like this meal…" the other boy in the room complained, noodles slipping off his fork. "I miss food back at home. I want a Yakulevich red sausage."

"Well…" Misha tried to make a smile. "At least they are giving us food, even though we are refugees."

"Yeah…" the boy looked even more gloomy. "But we can't stay here, right? I want to find ma and pa again." He turned to Misha. "Big sis, did you manage to find any of our families?"

"Sorry," Misha shook her head, recalling her usual trip to the camp's temporary office. The accountant, while apologetic, had simply no information, even days after their initial escape to Lungmen. "But they haven't found anyone…"

The boy returned to picking at his food. Meanwhile, Misha's thoughts wandered, to a certain family member that she had not seen for a while, when she had seen him -

_Two men grabbed hold of her screaming brother, his face bloody after being hit with some blunt instrument. His right sleeve had been torn off, exposing the place where he had been infected by the accursed black mineral. As the mob raged and her mother screamed to reclaim her son, she peeked from her room, eyes wide in horror yet frozen to the do-_

"Big sis? Big sis!"

Misha returned to the present, seeing all three kids looking up at her with worried expressions.

"S-sorry…" she stuttered, "I...I was thinking of my family too…"

The kid who was complaining earlier suddenly put his box in front of her. "Then, big sis should have my share!"

"Huh?!" Misha exclaimed.

"Big sis has been doing so much for us, its only right that she should eat more!" The boy proclaimed. "And I...I don't feel that hungry!"

"Don't be silly," the girl said between bites. "We all need to eat, especially when we are all Infected now."

As the kids bantered back and forth a bit, Misha smiled, enjoying the brief moment of joviality. She turned over her arm, looking at the ore lesion that had not been there a week ago.

_So...this is what it means to be Infected._ Misha looked through the window, at the bleak expanse of sky that covered Lungmen. _Seperated, isolated…_

There was a knock on the door, and all four turned around. Misha got to her feet, and opened it by a crack.

On the other side, a familiar Ursus man waited, his head also covered by a hood. It did not, however, obscure the anxious expression on his face

"Mr. Zichiry?" Misha asked. "What is it?"

"Misha." He whispered in a fearful tone. "I need to tell you something, outside, away from the kids."

Misha's heartbeat suddenly shot up. "Is it...?"

"It's not the LGD, but it could be worse," Mr. Zchiry replied. "But we can't talk about this in front of the children."

Misha turned around, and sure enough, all three pairs of innocent eyes were focused on her.

"Stay here," she told the kids, and they nodded in unison.

Misha then stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. Navigating around the various other refugees sleeping on sheets or mattresses, the both of them went to the back of the flat, hiding behind a corner.

"Misha," Mr. Zchiry began. "What I've been hearing from the other camps is that some masked people have been looking from you. And I'm almost certain they are looking for you, because they've been saying your name straight and describing your features."

"What sort of masked people?" Misha asked.

"Reunion."

Misha made a gasp, covering her mouth a second too late. One of the refugees around her stirred, but did not move to wake up.

"If the rumours are true," Mr Zichiry continued, "I'm certain it's them, because they have been awfully fierce about it and they keep mingling with the Infected camps. And there's no mistaking the masks they wear."

"But wouldn't the LGD have the camps surrounded?" Misha asked. "Wouldn't they have found any sort of Reunion member?"

"This is Reunion, remember?" Mr Zchiry made an exaperated gesture. "You are looking at the same monsters that burned Chernobog! They probably have their ways of dodging the authorities, or are crazy enough to hide in the camps in the first place!"

"But…" Misha tried to start, only for the man to cut her off.

"Look, the issue here is, you aren't safe here. I think nobody in their right mind would outright invite them in, but sooner or later they are going to catch someone who's seen a glimpse of you, and if you don't come along quietly, who knows what they will do to you! And let's not mention they also want to burn Lungmen down or something…"

"But what do they want with me?"

"I don't know, but if anything...it probably has to do with your father. Maybe his projects."

"But I know nothing...I never knew anything about my father's work…Mr. Zchiry," it was all Misha could do to not break down on the spot. "What should I do? And what about the children?"

"I can take care of the children, but as for you…" The man bit his lower lip, thinking. "You have to hide somewhere, but if you disappear, the LGD will likely mobilize to hunt you down...I know that there's some sort of rumoured secret access into the lower levels down in one of the basements, but I don't know if you can last down there…"

"Is there another way?" Misha asked, almost overcome with fear.

"You could hand yourself to the LGD...they would at least be fair with you, I think, and at least they would keep you safe for a while. Thing is, people are saying that Reunion wants to stay in Lungmen to do things, so you would likely be restricted for a long time...there's also the so-called Rhodes Island, who claim to be trying to cure Oripathy...so of you are scared that your Oripathy will get worse, you could go to them, but I don't know if they will ever come to the camps…"

Misha took everything in, feeling overwhelmed by everything. "Mr. Zchiry, to be honest...I don't know what to choose."

"Its...fine. Just stay in your room and don't come out. I will…" the man swallowed. "I will try to see if I can find better options."

"...thank you, Mr Zchiry…"

The both of them went back to the room, and Misha slid back in, all three of the kids watching her.

"Big sis, is everything okay?"

"It's okay, it's okay…" Misha said, quickly covering her face, obscuring the tears that had started to leak.

==|==

Night fell, with the moon a curved sickle gleaming among the stars. Meanwhile, under the cover of darkness, a dark portent made its way to Lungmen.

Through the expanse of the desert, five large crafts, driving upon four large sets of tracks, burned a furious path.

Each of them had the Ursus emblem painted on their side - except it was crossed out with paint and graffiti, with Reunion's helix logo painted beside it. On their deck, they each bore two crude turreted devices - each one held harnesses for three people, each harness clamped and attached to a pair of electromagnetic rails. Just below, at the front of these craft, a plexiglass window revealed their bridges, where their pilots and engineers operated them from.

In the air conditioned bridge of the first vehicle, a man stood, looking out at the dark expanse. Briefly, one of the vehicle lookouts would shine a floodlight towards the front, illuminating the ruin of a broken building, a glimpse of a city consumed by the desert - a city that some whispered, was older than the Empire, older than even the Collapse.

It didn't matter to the man, save the _currently_ -existing city that was his destination - no, his _target_ -

The doors to the bridge slid open, their penumatic hissing disrupting his thoughts. He turned around, watching a woman stride into the bridge with a certain air of disregard. She had blood red horns that poked out of her bright white hair, and wore a black-red jacket over a white shirt to complement it. As the woman walked up to the man, her sharp-tipped tail wagged from side to side, while she adjusted the woolen scarf around her neck.

In contrast, the man simply wore a fitting wetsuit from neck to toe, with a tactical harness placed simply over it. A gas mask hung off his belt, which was flung around when he turned fully to face the woman.

"So, Skullshatterer," she began, pulling out a remote and juggling it with one hand. "Ursus has some pretty good amenities aboard their military vehicles. Why not go down and relax a little instead of...staying cooped up in this little bridge?"

"It's none of your business, W." the man snapped back with a heavy rasp, eyes focusing on the remote. "And would it kill you to stop playing with your detonator for a moment?"

"What, scared I will blow us up?" At Skullshatterer's hard glare, W sighed and caught the detonator with a midair swipe. "Relax. Anyways, if you want to stay here, be my guest. Just don't expect us to hit Lungmen as quickly as you want."

That got his attention. "What has happened?"

"Something that you would know if you haven't been cooping yourself in the bridge for the past two days." The Sarkaz's characteristic smirk returned, in all its sarcastic glory. "Lungmen's suddenly managed to locate and hit a good chunk of our sleeper teams. We've lost some of the vehicles that we were supposed to use, and a lot of our agents are going to ground. You probably don't need three guesses to know why this is the case, don't you?"

Skullshatterer's hand began to curl up into a fist, and his expression visibly darkened. "Rhodes Island. It has to be…"

"Yes yes, let me just cut you right there before you go into a rant…" W waved him off. "Anyway, with that in mind, looks like our original plan is not going to work, and they probably know we are coming. So we have to be more careful and need to get closer to Lungmen proper."

W walked to a console and tapped on it, revealing a topographical scan. "See this part?" She said, pointing to a cross-section of one of the more prominent ruins. "I say we head there, camouflage ourselves, and use it as a staging point on our assault on Lungmen. The detour will be longer and we have to hide there for a day or two to avoid detection, but we will get a chance at hitting a Lungmen that's at a lower alert level."

"That sounds...fine." Skullshatterer bit back a barb, thinking through the plan. The Sarkaz was certainly...caustic with her attitude and a mercenary, but even he had to admit she had experience that he didn't. "I can wait. What about...her?"

"Her? Sorry, still no report from the teams." With that W turned around, and Skullshatterer returned to looking out of the plexiglass window.

"Oh, and, by the way," the doors to the bridge hissed open, but W looked back one more time. "Don't you want to look at the case in your room?"

"What case?"

"The case our benefactor got you, of course." W made a low giggle. "What, do you think she would forget you, after you went and spilled your sob story to her? Man, I'm jealous; I wish my stories could get me a pair nice weapons too!"

The barb bit deep, and Skullshatterer spun around in rage. "Fuck off, you b-"

The doors however, were already sliding shut, faint laughter ringing from the other side. The anger building up, Skullshatterer's fists clenching and unclenching as he tried to channel it away.

"Sir…" the ship's pilot spoke, eyes still focused on the route ahead. "Don't get too worked up over that woman…"

"I know, I know…" Skullshatterer pinched the bridge of his nose, gritting his teeth. "She's a bloody piece of work...even if she's been helping Reunion throughout. I wish we don't have to rely on assholes like her, but…"

"Sir…you should rest, go back to your room."

"Its fine-"

"We have things handled here. Just tell us and we will have the orders transmitted."

Skullshatterer looked at the crew, noticing that all of them were all looking back at him.

"Fine. Thank you, you guys."

Skullshatterer then left the bridge himself. Walking through the landship's corridors, he saw many of his men lying or sitting in any space area, some of them doing maintenance on some of their equipment. Those who spotted him raised hands in salute, or simply waved their own hands in greeting.

Finally, he got to his own room, a large cabin originally meant for the captain of the ship. In between the cheap and simple furniture, a large metal box sat in the middle of the room, polished with some strange black material and yet completely unmarked.

Sitting on the bed, he spun the crate around and touched a prominent button on its side. Suddenly, parts of it lit up, outlines of circles in the lid appeared and spun outwards. When the bolts had detached, the lid of the box split in half, seperating to reveal the items within.

Skullshatterer's eyes widened. "This...!"

Placed facing each other, in a bed of foam, were a pair of identical multi-shot grenade launchers, fitted with an octagonal drum-mag and a squat, ecliptical vented barrel. The trigger guard and grip was fitted with a careful texture grip, and behind the red-tinted firing mechanism was a protruding triangular stock. Just from appearance alone, it was obvious that it had been constructed from far more fabulous materials than he had ever seen.

Skullshatterer picked up one of the launchers, the bulky weapon unbelievably light in hands, lighter than the heavy steel launcher that he used in the past. As he grabbed the front grip of the advanced weapon, the sight atop the weapon flipped up on its volition, and when he looked through it, a gleaming, golden screen and sight indicator, with the words 'HAKKE' appeared. Ammo indicators and targeting data appeared on the scope, alongside various other symbols and numbers he did not recognize.

"This...is this what the wonders of the Last City are like?"

A sudden ring filled the room, coming from Skullshatterer's communicator. He pulled it out and found a new message, which he opened.

_We've located her. Can't get into touch with her, but at least we can grab her when the operation starts._

Upon reading the message, relief flooded Skullshatterer.

"Thank you, thank you so much…" Clutching his newfound weapon, the young man gripped it with a sense of grim determination.

_A weapon of the gods, and Reunion at my back…nothing can stop me now._

His phone returned to its home screen, showing the picture of a white-haired girl.

_Misha. I'm coming. Just a little longer._


	11. Chapter 3 - 1

_"Ohhh, Laterano firearms? Oh yeah, let me tell you more about those bad boys. Now, sure, because of the lack of Golden Age technology, they are mainly bog-standard chemical ballistics with no frills, no add-ons, but they make up for it in raw firepower! Now, you may ask how they do this, well, this is thanks to them utilising that unique mineral called 'Originum'. Because Originum is a Class-A Restricted Material in the City, Tex Mechanica and the other manufacturers can't mess with it, but for the Laterano, Originum is their lifeblood of industry, so they use this material every single day, making hi-power cartridges with Originum-based chemical propellant and even Originum based payloads."_

_"Now, this fugly old-time chemical ballistic might not seem much as compared to Fusion rifles and some of our ETC-powered weaponry, but who boy does it murder armour like crazy. Me and my squad went out to Mars for a routine mission and I got the chance to lay the hurt on some lost Cabal legionary. By the time I finished the mag his suit looked more like Swiss cheese and the bastard was screaming for mercy until we put a bullet in his cranium. Lemme tell you, that shit's wack. To bad trying to get your hands on one is hard as hell because the Laterano are a bunch of stick-up-the-ass fogies, but hey, I can teach you some tricks of the Terran underground if you want your hands on one..."_

\- _From a blog post on the 'Grey Level' of the inter-City network, archived by the Praxic Order for investigation purposes_

==| Chapter 3 - 1 |==

**LGD Mobile Command Post**   
**Outskirts of City Section 34**   
**Great Lungmen**

"Right, soo…"

As Soulworker watched, the Doctor took out a vial from his left pocket, holding it up for the Ghost. Immersed in a solution of suspension liquid, a small black crystal floated within the vial, inert.

Originum.

A series of yellow warnings were pasted on the vial, warning of its biological hazard, and the lid itself was double sealed with a strong metal cap. Even with the glass of the vial and his glove between his skin and the Originum, the Doctor could not help but feel uneasy holding it, with a constant tingling sensation on his fingers.

"Huh, just a plain Originum shard?" Soulworker asked, leaning in to examine the accursed black mineral. "I thought you would have a full crystal. Or even some of that Originite Prime."

"I did try." The Doctor replied, clasping the vial fully in his hand when Soulworker veered off. "Thing is, the Laboratories have their stockpiles of Originum put under heavy protection - especially when you consider the sheer number of 'volatile' individuals - and the same goes for the Originite Prime stockpile, particularly thanks to its high value. In fact, Ms Closure told me that she can't issue Originite Prime for anything less than really serious matters. This vial's worth of Originum was just what I could borrow from Saria's lab at the moment."

"I see," Soulworker said. "Well, if my theories are right, it should be just fine with normal Originum anyways."

The Doctor nodded, beginning to rummage through his bag. From it, he produced a multimeter with a pair of large probes attached, tossing the whole thing at Soulworker. For his part, the Ghost 'caught' the large measuring instrument midair, before levitating it over to an impromptu stand, attaching the probes to either side of the stand.

The Doctor stashed the vial back in his pocket, before shaking his sleeves down. "Let's...hope this doesn't end in yet another fried multimeter. I don't want to have to explain to Closure again."

"Third time's a charm, Doctor. Now, focus, and concentrate on building the electrical circuit…"

With Soulworker's advice, the Doctor raised his hands, trying to visualize tendrils of power linking his fingers to the probes. Gently, Light turned into Arc Energy, flowing from his fingertips to build a circuit. As he focused, the sharp smell of ozone began to form, tingling his nose.

A few moments later, a blue light briefly flashed midair. Mustering his will, the Doctor relaxed a little, and the brief flashes of light turned into the slow, controlled crackling of lighting, buzzing as they leapt from his fingers to strike the probes.

"Steady, steady!" The Multimeter lit up with readings, while Soulworker hovered nearby, taking them down. "And...stop!"

Lighting stopped crackling from the Doctor's fingertips, and he dropped his hands to his side, panting and bending over from the mental exertion.

Soulworker waited for a few moments, before asking, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just…" the Doctor stood back up, pulling the vial of Originum out of his pocket. "I'm...still not used to this. But then," he gave a shrug, "If you think about it, a guy who is just resurrected and given strange powers to use...isn't going to get used to it quickly, is he?"

Soulworker didn't answer.

"Hmm? Soulworker?"

"Y-yeah, I guess you are right." The Ghost finally replied. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, just think of this as training yourself for the fight ahead, alright?"

"I'll try to think of it that way…" The Doctor clasped the vial in his right hand and began to repeat what he had just done.

Instantaneously, the sharp smell of ozone returned, and the vial in his hand began to feel warm. Suddenly, without warning, lightning surged from his gripped hand, wildly striking the probe. Shocked - but prepared, the Doctor quickly doubled down, trying to control the surge of energy. The flow dimmed a little, but still was large in comparison to the lightning flowing through his other hand.

"Ok, cut!" Soulworker yelled, the multimeter's readings dancing like crazy.

With a yell of effort, the Doctor turned away, cutting his flow of Light at the same time, before kneeling over and stumbling against one of the narrow walls of the room. The vial tumbled from his gloved fingers and hit the ground, the suspension liquid within bubbling with the heat.

Soulworker begun prying the multimeter's components from the stand - despite having been exposed to heavy electrical bombardment, the probes were none the worse for wear save a few small burns on their plastic grips. The device itself still worked perfectly, continuing to record until the Ghost stopped it.

"Well, at least we don't have broken lab equipment this time." Soulworker mused, trying to make levity out of the situation.

For his part, the Doctor didn't reply, still trying to recover from the exertion. When he finally stood back up, he quickly pulled off his helmet, taking a few great gulps of air and blinking. After a few moments, he asked, "Soulworker...why does controlling the Light become so hard when you are just using it in small amounts, when it normally feels so natural?"

"Well, that's because you are trying to _control_ it," Soulworker replied. "Using the Light is a natural thing, like breathing. So you have to flow with it, learn to naturally use it. Like, you don't breathe small amounts of air on purpose, and so it feels difficult when you actively attempt to do it."

"That...makes sense." The Doctor took a few more breaths, before sliding his helmet back on. "So, what did you get?"

"Exactly as I predicted." Soulworker brought the tablet to the Doctor, who plucked it out of the air and began to read. "You using the Originum shard allowed for a 20-30% boost in total power generated in the same span of time while outputting the same amount of Light. Now, the Arc Energy generated and converted into electrical current has some inefficiencies and isn't a direct calculable formula with our current set of data, but it at least shows that Originum does help."

"Well, but Originium is noted for its massive energy to mass ratio and its suitability in electrical generation." The Doctor said. "How sure are you that it's the Light?"

"Of course, we will have to do some tests with Solar and Void Energy to prove it once and for all," Soulworker replied, floating around to pick up the vial. "but seeing how Arc Energy isn't exactly electrical energy and the way I noticed the Light react when you were channelling it with the Originum, I'm betting my theory is correct." Soulworker turned back to the Doctor. "This is pretty massive, don't you see?"

"I can see, but…" the Doctor plucked the vial from Soulworker, slipping it back inside his pocket. "There's something I don't get, regarding your experiments and all."

"Hmmm?"

"From all the stories I've heard and read about Guardians, one thing that always stood out was how they were constantly chasing power of some sort. Whether it was the Warlords constantly trying to build their fiefdoms, or the rumours of them killing each other just to see how they could get more powerful...point is, how is it that you and I are the first ones to investigate the connection between Originum and Light?"

"Oh, that's easy," Soulworker replied. "The Traveller's Ward."

"Come again?"

"The Traveller, even in its dormant state, seems to output a low-level protective barrier against any sort of devastating weather. Simply put, not a single Catastrophe has ever come close to the Last City - or, in fact, the entire continent of the Southern Americas. There are a lot of theories why, but I spent some time looking at certain weather patterns - and basically, the Originum-seeded Catastrophe clouds - especially the ones that come from Columbia - always stop before hitting the northern 'border' of the continent. So basically, the City doesn't have any local access to Originum - and doesn't really need it either, considering how it runs mostly on Golden Age technology."

"But wouldn't someone have come into contact with it long before us?"

"I mean, history about Originum or Guardians before the City Age is really freaking scattered and I dare not pretend I know anything," Soulworker insisted as he spun his ragged green shell, "but consider this - as crazy as Guardians seem, from the Thananotauts to the Crucible-junkies, I wouldn't be surprised if they stopped at inflicting themselves with a dangerous incurable disease with an unknown mineral for marginal benefit. I mean, we've seen in Chernobog that Originum doesn't even react to Light in close proximity. So I'm not surprised people haven't made the connection. They would probably just go hunting for the 'flavour of the month' weapons and armour sets instead; that's the easiest method anyway. Heck, I don't think they would even think of Orignum's esoteric property - they would just see it as a better propellant for bullets."

"Then what about you?" The Doctor asked. "So one fine day, you were in the Ursus Empire, doing things the rest of your kind don't do…"

"Well, I'm the exception," Soulworker replied, almost matter-of-factly. "I've been interested in Originum for a while, and its a restricted material in the City, so I've gotta go out and do my research, don't I?"

Before the Doctor could probe further, the door to the narrow room suddenly opened, and a woman with dog-like ears poked her head in.

"What are you t...doing?" Dobermann asked, as Soulworker quickly vanished.

"Uh, experiments?" The Doctor replied, looking quite put on the spot.

"Surely there are better places to do that then in the back of an LGD command vehicle," Dobermann questioned, narrowing her eyes. "The LGD officers were complaining about weird noises and sounds from here, and who knows what would have happened if I didn't intervene."

"Got it, sorry Instructor." The Doctor noted the hidden warning.

"Anyways…Superintendent Chen wants to talk to you. There's been a new set of intelligence and she wants your input."

"Alright."

Stepping out of the small room with his bag, he squeezed past Dobermann, heading for the main chamber of the mobile command post.

Within the main chamber, a few operators squeezed in corners manning stations with monitors displaying unit locations and maps. In the middle, a dragon woman stood, wearing a surprisingly casual set of clothes - a jacket over a thin shirt and tie, a pair of shorts and ankle-high boots. A sword was attached to her waist belt, and she rested her hand on it.

"Dr Maxwell," Superintendent Chen turned around, fixing him with a look of irritation. "Just what have you been doing on my vehicle?"

"Some needed research," The Doctor spent a moment examining her outfit. "Besides...I could ask you the same regarding your...getup."

The Superintendent gave him a stare in return. "This is just what I wear for combat missions. It does the job well enough."

"...you plan to go out there and fight yourself?" The Doctor asked.

"That's funny coming from someone who apparently does the same thing," the Superintendent replied. "Anyway, enough chitchat."

She handed a thin file to the Doctor. "Are you aware of this person?"

The Doctor flipped it open. Attached to it was a picture of a young Ursus girl with white hair, dressed in a school uniform.

"I believe that there are some Ursus students that have become part of Rhodes Island's payroll?" Chen asked.

"I'm not aware of the situation surrounding our Ursus recruits, but judging by how your immigration department scanned all our people, I doubt she's with us." The Doctor said, stowing the file under his arm. "That said In the meantime, what about this person?"

"Recently, we had a tipoff from some of the refugees in this section regarding some of the remnant Reunion cells in this area. Not only have they gone to ground, but they have been tracking this person for a while. The refugees that did so claimed it was because this person was a child of one of the more important scientists in Chernobog, and that Reunion was chasing her for her father's research." Chen paced around the office, before resting against on one of the small tables in the room. "We are trying to get more details from the Ursus Embassy, but they are refusing any requests."

"Her name?"

"Misha, as it seems."

"Definitely not one of ours, because I don't recall seeing her in our files." the Doctor replied, looking at the map currently shown on the main screen. It showed an aerial view of the city section being discussed - one of the 'grungier' suburbs of Lungmen, with older, squatter buildings decorated with glowing neon lights that gave off a shabbier feel in contrast to the rest of the city. "That said...what am I looking at?"

"Section 34. This section of the city holds one of the refugee camps designated for Infected - and already in itself has a sizable Infected population beforehand. We believe she's in here as the tip-offs came from this camp itself - alongside the recent uptick in Reunion activity - but the main issue is that our target, for some reason, chose to go to ground and hide instead of surrendering herself."

"That sounds...difficult."

"Believe me, you have no idea, Doctor." The Superintendent sighed. "The reports say she might somehow be hiding in the inner superstructure of the section's platform - and if she did, our job has become worse. The Department of Infrastructure is trying to activate the surveillance equipment remotely, but even then it could still be like looking through needles in a haystack."

"So what's your plan?" The Doctor asked.

"The LGD is going to enforce a quarantine on the refugee camp and the area around it, to try to freeze any possible Reunion movements involving this area, while both our teams will go in and search for the girl. I will also order a lockdown of the subterranean functions of the platform so that we can isolate the girl faster."

The Doctor nodded. "Hold on a second…" He said as he activated the communicator in his helmet. "Amiya, are you there?"

 _"I am, Doctor!_ " A voice appeared in the command room, with an indicator on the map lighting up with activity. _"I've almost arrived at the AO with the Blacksteel Team, we are almost ready to start searching!"_

"The advance team?"

_"Already inside."_

"Alright. Amiya, I'm going to need you to listen in on this." The Doctor turned back to Chen. "Superintendent, may I suggest that we evacuate everyone from the Section while we enact the quarantine?"

Chen stared at the Doctor with an expression not unlike someone being told to jump off a cliff. "...are you aware of how much resources that would take? A full evacuation of the city section is no small feat."

"I know, but I believe we still need it nonetheless." The Doctor replied. "As I mentioned before, one of the truly dangerous things regarding Reunion is their incredible ability to take cover, hide and regroup before striking again. One of the ways they have been utilising this is by using human crowds or groups as cover. So if we evacuate the entire area, we deprive Reunion of cover, exposing them to our operations."

"What about the possibility of Reunion leaking through the dragnet? Allowing for a full evacuation would allow Reunion forces to leak through and create cells in other areas." Chen asked. "I'm not necessarily disagreeing, but I can't allow more cells to get created on Lungmen."

"Thing is, Superintendent, if this person is so important, I believe the Reunion would be concentrating on this area in an attempt to secure her - assuming they have no other goals at the moment. Which of course means we will be introducing more enemies to deal with, but at the same time we would be able to clear more of the cells in Lungmen."

"Hmmm...in that case…" Chen gave the idea some thought, playing with the handle of her weapon as she did. "The LGD would still have to devote extra manpower to this, even after utilising the units around the refugee camp. And of the refugees, we could move them to a temporary holding area, but...will Rhodes Island be able to watch over them during the operation?"

 _"Yes!"_ Amiya exclaimed over the comms. _"We can even provide Oripathy treatment on the spot; our Medical Department would be more than willing to help!"_

"Not so fast." Chen shook her head. "We will have to reverify each person once they've been evacuated, so I can't allow you to perform any treatments until they have been checked. Lungmen will not approve of allowing treatment for terrorists on its borders."

_"But, Superintendent, what if they are not well at the moment? The exertion-"_

"Basic protocol, Amiya. I won't tolerate any breaches of this." The Superintendent replied in a firm tone. The Doctor turned to Dobermann, who simply shook her head. "In the meantime, I'll contact Chief Wei about this; he will probably approve the evacuation, although there's probably going to be some complaints from some parts of the government-"

"Hang on," Dobermann suddenly spoke up. "If this is a major Reunion sting to grab the girl, how are they planning to accomplish the extraction of the girl? We've just spent the past week systematically rooting out any possible illegal transports that could belong to them, after all."

 _"Perhaps we might have missed one?"_ Amiya offered.

"Even if we missed one, we should still be able to locate any such vehicle if they actually do activate it," Chen added. "Lungmen's defence system is at hair-trigger alert. We can activate the city's defensive shields or turrets at any time we see a rogue vehicle move."

"Perhaps." Dobermann shrugged. "Judging by the sudden increase in Reunion movements, I have a feeling that this girl isn't just it, and that there's something else going on as well. Maybe they are going to try raiding Lungmen at the same time."

"I'll pass along your concerns to the rest of the City Defense Council," Chen replied, picking up a telephone from a stand.

 _"Um, sorry, Superintendent, a request?"_ Amiya asked.

"What is it?"

" _Seeing that the person is young and infected...can Rhodes Island be the ones to secure and escort her? Maybe she chose to hide was because she was scared...of the LGD."_

"I will approve this, but on the condition that she is immediately handed to the LGD once she's out of the AO," Chen replied. "If she has information, we need it ASAP."

"But if she's sick-"

"If she is, we will give her the proper medical treatment, administered by your doctors if necessary. Otherwise, no arguments on this." The hard look on her face brooked no argument.

_"...alright."_

==|==

_"Honestly, that Superintendent seems like a bit of a stick-in-the-mud."_

_"...I don't think that's a fair judgement of her, Blaze..."_

_"Well she's obstructing our medical teams from doing our job! Seriously! How do you expect people to respond if we are herding them like sheep just like that? Hey, Doctor! You should have said something about that just now!"_

The Doctor was busy taking cover behind a pillar, while activity surged in the mobile command post a distance away. LGD units consolidated their equipment as they prepared to move out, with some Rhode Islanders mingling with them as the two groups made preparations together. Somewhere within, the more experienced Dobermann was coordinating the affairs, making last-minute decisions of placing deployment areas and choke points.

Two animal-eared women were talking to him at the moment. One of them, as always, was the patient Amiya, playing the voice of reason, while the other was her polar opposite - large, muscular, outspoken - and wielding a massive polearm with chainsaw welded to the top.

 _"Seriously Doctor, you should have pushed back a little. You can't let such a woman keep blocking us from doing our job!"_ Blaze, the outspoken Feline, protested over the comms in her loud, boisterous voice.

"Look, look," the Doctor went on the defensive. "It's not that I didn't want to...er, push back, but, I mean, it's their city. They are the law here, it would be a little more than rude to go against what they sa-"

_"Still, you literally rolled over for that woman! Jeez, Doctor, where's your spine? Or did you fall for her or s-"_

"Blaze, enough." Amiya quickly said. "Please lay off poor Doctor, he's just trying to get back into things, after this long."

Almost immediately, the big cat-woman went quiet.

"Thank you, Amiya," The Doctor said, his voice a little too high for his own liking. "Anyways, like I was saying...as you are now aware, while the LGD begins to cordon off the area, we will mainly focus on trying to locate the girl, to see if we can extract her earlier before the LGD starts suppressing Reunion. If you guys succeed, it will be a lot easier to do the whack-a-mole dance with Reunion. Even if the fighting starts, your team will probably have a better chance at grabbing her under their noses. In case of any...problems, I have a secondary team ready to assist at any point. Amiya, have you assembled your team?"

 _"Our Blacksteel partners are with us currently,"_ Amiya replied, _"but I've told the Penguin Logistics people to scout out ahead and help us find the fastest paths to move through, so they are currently under radio silence."_

"Penguin Logistics...those are the local 'high-class' couriers you were talking about, right? They don't sound like an armed outfit."

" _They_ technically _aren't, but in our negotiations and investigations it seems they are 'absolutely skilled' at this sort of thing, so I think we can rely on them,"_ Amiya replied.

"Ok, I'll take your word for their performance." The Doctor replied. "If nothing else...you have the green light to set off as soon as you are ready."

_"Ok!"_

"Also, Blaze? Please do reduce the collateral damage."

_"Don't single me out like that!"_


	12. Chapter 3 - 2

_"While some might see Mobile Cities as merely an extremely scaled-up version of Terran mobile platforms, they are merely half-right. Because of the living demands of shifting entire populations onto mobile vehicles, while supporting all the infrastructure, the base of each city's section is a massive mobile platform of its own right, hiding an extremely sophisticated, densely packed superstructure of labyrinthian complexity under its shell._

_The 'top' of an undeveloped Mobile City Section, while bare, already has all the foundations for various buildings, all prepared in advance in accordance to the plan for the neighbourhood in the wider connected city. In these foundations, the sewage, water and electrical works have long since been prepared, snaking down to the subterranean levels of the mobile platform to link up with large tunnels holding the larger cousins of their specific lines. Within these subterranean levels and networks, there also exists a separate labyrinth of Maintainance tunnels that allow for civil workers to maintain or repair them. While older variants of Mobile Cities had ready access to those tunnels with little oversight due to the desperation of the times, newer variants have many security features such as closed-circuit television cameras or motion detectors, to deter possible smugglers or worse still, terrorists._

_Beneath these networks, additional facilities may exist to service the city. While each City Section has its own Originum Reactor for its own locomotion, sometimes more 'central' sections will also have additional public reactors to service the city itself. Most also have Originum mining and extraction systems, to allow for self-sufficiencies or for export to other cities. Newer or more sophisticated cities may also have an extensive underground metro system planned as well, as the refined science of city relocation allows for the existence of large transport networks to remain viable before and after relocation, providing a great transportation system for the city's inhabitants."_

_\- From 'A Lost Soul's Introduction to Mobile Cities, Chapter IV'_

==| Chapter 3 -2 |==

The minutes dragged by.

Throughout the city section, Civilians, some carrying what they could, some with nothing but the clothes on their back, were quickly ushered out of their homes, guided by the various officers of the LGD. Scuffles and small fights broke out where confused civilians lashed out against each other, only to be rapidly quelled and those responsible dragged out.

Meanwhile, buses arrived and moved into the refugee sites, right before guards packed the various refugees inside. With little protest from their passengers, the buses moved rapidly in and out, ferrying the refugees away from the soon to be warzone to a designated holding area outside.

Amongst the chaos, the LGD and Rhodes Island kept an eye throughout the city section, via drones patrolling the airspace above and a cordon of operators/policemen from both organizations.

They didn't have to wait long.

Ten minutes in, a Molotov was thrown at the corner of the cordon, barely seconds after the last set of refugees were evacuated. In a matter of moments, the LGD garrison would be surrounded by a wave of Reunion fighters.

Backup was dispatched, but at that moment, the LGD's drone network would signal the beginning of large movements across the entire city section.

Fifteen minutes in, Superintendent Chen ordered various squads to move into the section to engage Reunion in earnest, escalating the fighting within. However, thanks to the section wide cordon established, the resulting fighting would be contained within, allowing the rest of the city to remain unharmed. As a result, the opening parts of the operation began smoothly for the local authorities.

Meanwhile, within the bowels of the Mobile City's foundations...

==|==

"Have you found the marking?"

"It's a penguin, right?"

"Yes."

"This is it, then."

A fox-eared Vulpo in a militaristic outfit wielding a shining sword looked at a stencil scrawled on the wall of a maintenance tunnel. The marking, crude as it was, was pointing left.

"This way," Franka said, signalling to the rest of her team. Behind her, Amiya and Blaze walked up, followed by a silver-haired, blue-horned girl with a tower shield and a pistol.

The Rhodes Island team moved through, quickly and quietly. As they moved through the literal underbelly of Lungmen's great superstructure, the muffled sounds of combat and the thumping of boots could still be heard. At equal points, they encountered more and more of the penguin markings, leading them deeper and further. Snaking with them along the walls of the tunnel were numerous wires, piping, and lights, alongside safety messages pasted to the walls and various blinking devices that none of them had the time to dally on.

As they walked through the cavernous tunnels of the city, the concept of time and space seemed to disappear, only stopped by each of them dutifully checking their chronometers. Yet, despite their progress and the time they measured, the tunnels seemed to stretch before them, like an endless loop through a maze. Even as they found penguin marker after penguin marker - dutifully marking the ones they found to avoid backtracking - it seemed like their journey wouldn't end.

But it did. Finally, they stopped by an unassuming plain door, placed next to a circuit board and a fire control panel. The door itself was marked by another penguin, which pointed upwards. The group bunched up beside the door, on the lookout despite their fatigue.

"Is this the service staircase?" Amiya asked.

"Looks like it." The blue-horned girl opened the door slightly, peeking out with her shield. "It's clear," she added, behind barging through with her blue tail trailing.

The rest of Amiya's impromptu squad followed, racing up the staircase as fast as they could. Soon, they arrived at a landing, where there was a heavy metal door with a complex electronic lock - that had been deactivated in advance, the metal locking bars retracted into the slightly ajar door.

A note was taped on the door: "Please lock this afterwards "

Blaze snorted, pulling off the note and pushing against the door, grunting as she leveraged her strength against the monstrously heavy door. Within moments, all of them were in another corridor, which led out into the local municipal office. As Blaze closed and locked the access to the subterranean levels, the rest of them headed for the office.

As expected, it was deserted, littered with stationary, files and papers were strewn about from the confusion of the rapid evacuation. As Amiya walked out into the empty hall, the quiet silence in contrast to the humming of the subterranean levels began to set her on edge.

"Liskarm, Franka, please watch out for any Reunion movements," Amiya asked, and her two other squadmates moved to the windows, keeping an eye on the now deserted streets. "Blaze, raise HQ…"

'Already on it." Her larger companion had her left hand on her headset, tapping it impatiently. "Got a connection. Doc, what's the situation?"

 _"Getting worse."_ Maxwell's voice came out of everyone's headset, sounding a little irritated. " _Reunion suddenly has come out in force, directly engaging the LGD and trying to rampage across the section. The Superintendent just called in her Special Operations Unit and our operators maintaining the cordon have engaged a few skirmishers."_

"Oh no." Amiya became worried. "What about the advance team?"

_"They have not been engaged, thankfully. In fact, they just managed to gain a positive reading on the girl. But you have to meet up with them quickly, considering how quickly the situation's devolving."_

"Where are they?" Franka asked.

_"Westside of Hung Lao Street, in a cinema theatre near one of the apartment blocks - looks like our guess that she might have gone underground was a bust. They are currently holding position and hiding, we will tell them to meet you when you have arrived. Current fighting is concentrated on the intersections nearer to the section's centre, so you will have to make a circular route through the slums out the outskirts."_

"Understood. Thank you, Doctor."

The connection cut. Amiya nodded to the rest, who all nodded back. Following this, they rushed out of the municipal office, through the double doors and into the cold, wet afternoon. Without hesitation, they moved out, Liskarm leading the way with her pistol.

Despite their worries, they managed to get through to the slums without incident. Within an alley full of abandoned rickety bikes and trishaws, powered down signboards and dirty walls plastered with posters, the group tried to weave their way through.

"Huh, of all places, you would think that Lungmen wouldn't have slums," Franka commented, sidestepping past a portable table outside a coffee shop. "I guess with all that advancement, some things still remain."

"Well, it is an old city after all, even if it is a Mobile City," Liskarm commented. "And with enough time and neglect, these sort of places tend to crop up over and over."

"Just how old is this city…?"

"Well, the story is that Lungmen once managed to hold off an attempt by Ursus to expand around two deca…"

"Wait, I hear something."

Faint voices appeared from the intersection ahead of them. Quickly, the group noiselessly slid behind towers of abandoned crates, each one crammed full of herbs and spices, as the voices, rough and fierce, approached.

"So what's going on? What's the plan?"

"I don't know, alright?"

Amiya peeked around the crates, careful not to knock them over. In the corridor, a group of hooded figures were slowly making their way down, skulking around with looted batons, swords, body armour and equipment - all wearing an all-too-familiar mask.

She turned around, mouthing to the others, _Reunion_.

 _Should we engage?_ Liskarm mouthed back.

Amiya shook her head. _Radios, they might call reinforcements._

After this, they all fell silent, waiting behind the crates.

"You don't know, as in you don't know 'what to do' or because they haven't sent any messages?" A soft voice asked.

"Well, obviously we are supposed to join the fighting, but Mr. Leader thinks its a better idea to just skulk around in the slums, doesn't he?"

"I'm trying to find a way out-"

"So cowardice, then."

"-But if you think you are smarter, you can take over and send us charging at the LGD." The leader snarled maliciously. "I'm _sure_ we would all appreciate getting our heads smashed in and dragged off for interrogation."

There was silence for a few moments, as the footsteps got progressively louder.

"Ok, but assuming that we succeed, what then? The LGD have us surrounded, and they've managed to completely cut us off from our docks. How are we supposed to get to the cruisers?"

"We could hide here for a bit longer."

"You are kidding me, right? In the slums, as outsiders, hated by even the Infected who live here, with mafia and gangsters everywhere? Fuck that. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I rather be back at Chernobog."

"Not to mention running from the LGD."

"Screw that too."

A brief chorus of agreement, followed by another voice. "We still haven't figured out a way to get back onto the cruisers, dumbasses."

"...speaking of transports, where the fuck is Skullshatterer's squad? Wasn't he supposed to be here by now?

"Dunno, maybe the catapults that the monster helped build failed."

"Can't be, isn't that supposed to be the so-called Golden Age tech?"

"Why are you looking at me? Do I look like I know anything about that..."

The voices began to trail off, as were their speakers' footsteps. As the sounds slowly faded away into nothing, the whole group released a small, collective sigh of relief.

"Blaze...you heard all that, right?" Amiya asked, both worried and

"I did." Blaze flipped her hand out, revealing her phone - and a voice recorder program on the screen. "Gimme a sec, I'm sending this off to the Doctor."

==|==

_"Cruisers? Well, that explains how they plan to get out."_

_"You know something, Superintendent?"_

_"It is somewhat classified information, which means I can't exactly speak it…"_

Back within the city sections, Blaze made a groan in response to Chen's words. Meanwhile, the two Blacksteel mercenaries led the way in their stead, letting Amiya listen in on the conversation with minimal interruption.

 _"...but seeing the situation, I will reveal it to you based on our agreement."_ The LGD Superintendent finished. _"When they said Cruiser, they were most likely talking about something It refers to the recent bunch of large to superheavy combat vehicles that Ursus's been developing, meant to hold large calibre weaponry for the purpose of destroying other mobile platforms...or even Cities."_

 _"...just what sort of weapons are we talking about?"_ The Doctor asked.

 _"Long-range ballistic and missile artillery, and troop capacity enough to hold a few hundred men each."_ The Superintendent added. _"There were even rumours of electromagnetic weaponry, but our intelligence says that Ursus...most likely doesn't have that. For what's worth, we don't think they managed to get meaningful ballistic weaponry for those ready yet, but they definitely would have some sort of missile/rocket weapon."_

"That sounds worrying," Amiya said, creeping past a street that was playing host to a brawl. "And if Reunion managed to capture those cruisers...will they be attacking the city itself?"

"That's most likely what we could expect from the intel, seeing how we have to yet find any sign of those cruisers...although there is the possibility that they are hiding," Chen replied. "But, in that regard, Lungmen has prepared for that scenario, procuring a city-wide point defence network and a large area shield system from the Last City of the Guardians, so Lungmen proper should no suffer an attack."

"This is Reunion we are talking about, and again, open displays of force aren't exactly their thing, so they may not do that." The Doctor added. "Regarding what they were saying...the 'catapult' and the 'monster that helped build them'?"

 _"A 'monster' building something?"_ Amiya wondered out loud. _Could it be..._

 _"I don't see what Reunion would be doing with a 'catapult', unless it's some strange weapon that they developed for themselves…"_ The Doctor added.

Noone said anything for the next few moments, all busy pondering on the nature of the threat. Meanwhile, Amiya's group crossed the last street towards their destination, a squat cinema theatre building. A few posters with films, both old and in-season, were posted outside, although the doors were locked - save one that was left slightly ajar.

"Alright, Doc," Blaze asked. "We've arrived at the position, could you call out the Penguin Logistics guys."

 _"One moment. Er…"_ The Doctor hesitated. _"Right, they are telling me that the girl is kinda refusing to move. She's just hunkering down in one of the halls until she's sure that that you are here to rescue her and not carry her off to Reunion."_

"Oh jeez, it's the 'terrified client' problem again," Franka commented. "She's probably scared out of her wits, the poor thing."

"...didn't they tell her Rhodes Island was coming?" Liskarm asked, hefting her shield off her back.

"Well, if she's scared, she probably won't be convinced. Especially if the people saying it are some of the craziest people on Terra."

"Fair point. But I guess if anyone can make her move, its Amiya." Liskarm turned to Amiya and Blaze. "We will keep watch, you just go in and do your thing."

Amiya beamed a little. "Thanks, both of you."

The two Rhodes Islanders slipped through the unlocked doors, leaving their mercenary squadmates behind. Through a ticketing hall with the lingering atmosphere of a recently deactivated air conditioner, they made their way past the entry booth and into a corridor -

"Heeeey~ over here~"

An overly-cheery voice called out, and Amiya noticed a hand waving out from a doorway from the left. Jogging towards it, she met the smiling face of a young woman, with a cropped head of bright red hair and a glowing halo hovering above.

"Exusiai!"

The red-haired Sankta grinned at her name, before stepping away from the door, revealing the staircase to the theatre proper and letting them pass. "Hello, Amiya! Alright, the girl's in there, but she's still pretty frightened, although we've been trying -"

"Probably because you keep acting so excited."

At the top of the stairs, a dour, wolf-eared woman in a track jacket and pants appeared, holding a yellow-tinted sword in her right hand, while pulling a lollipop out of her mouth with her left.

"More like you are the scary one, Texas!" Exusiai pouted. "Seriously, you keep holding your sword in front of her and making that expression, how do you think?

Seeing their jovial attitudes, Amiya could not help but relax a little.

"Listen here, I-"

"Ok, ok, enough, we are short of time." Before the two hyperactive Messengers could get going, Blaze silenced the banter. "What exactly happened to the girl that she would act like this?"

"We don't know, obviously," Exusiai pouted. "But seeing the way she was shivering just now, I think someone tried to trick her into coming along with them to reach your organization -"

"- and it got worse when she called their bluff." Texas finished, stowing her sword.

Amiya nodded, as a bead of anger coalesced in the pit of her stomach. Looking up at the rows of seats in the dimly lit hall, she spotted a pair of ears, too late to avoid notice, ducking as she turned her gaze to them.

"I see," Amiya replied, before closing her eyes, focusing on the brief fury within her and suppressing it. "Allow me. Blaze, please sync our comms with them."

Wordlessly, the rest left her to walk up the aisles herself. As Amiya approached the girl hiding in the seats, the girl took another peek at her - revealing her white hair and bear-ish ears - this time watching her approach carefully.

Amiya stopped beside her, before bending down to come closer to the sitting girl.

"Hello, my name's Amiya. What's yours?" She asked, kindly and gently.

The girl watched her intently for a few moments, before replying with a question of her own. "Are...are you from Rhodes Island?"

"Yes."

"I...and the rest?"

"They are under our banner as well."

"Ok...but where are you taking me?" The girl began to panic slightly. "Those men...they said that they were from Rhodes as well...are you the real ones?"

"Yes," Amiya said. "You have nothing to worry about."

"But where are you bringing me?"

"To...the LGD," The girl flinched a little, but Amiya held out a hand. "Wait. Listen...they have some questions to ask you, but they definitely won't hurt you. And as for your Oripathy...we can help you with it."

"But you are bringing...me...to the LGD...will Rhodes even be able to…"

Amiya closed her eyes, thinking of the Superintendent's curt statements, balancing them against the weight of her own power. Finally, she took a deep breath, still making a smile.

"I _will_ guarantee your safety." Amiya insisted, reassuring in a firm tone. "That I can promise."

The girl looked at her, her expression uncertain as she looked at Amiya's genuine smile. Finally, she nodded.

"Then...my name is Misha…please take care of me."

Amiya smiled, before patting the girl's shoulder. At the same time, she offered a hand, helping Misha to her feet as well. The girl wobbled a little on her feet as she stood, causing Amiya to support her as both of them made their way down. Meanwhile, Exusiai flashed her a thumbs up and a smile.

Texas began, "Well, if she's ready, then we can get out ASAP-"

"Wait!" All eyes turned to Misha again. "I had three children with me. Are they safe?"

Everyone looked at each other, suddenly worried. Quickly, Amiya asked, "Where did you last leave them?"

"With...with the refugee camp, but I last heard fighting…"

"Then they should be safe." Blaze replied. "We just evacuated all the refugees."

"I see...thank you." The girl relaxed.

"Ok," Texas continued as if the interruption had not happened at all, "Exusiai and I managed to plot another route to the nearest LGD strongpoint. We just have to-"

The Lupo suddenly stopped, looking to the side.

"What is it?" Exusiai asked her partner.

"I heard something." She said. "It was faint, but…"

Amiya touched her headset. "Franka? Liskarm? Is there something going on outside?"

" _Not outside, but somewhere,_ " Franka replied. " _We just heard an explosion go off, but it's far off_ -"

"It's happening again." Texas interrupted.

"- _and another one just went off._ "

"HQ, this is Blaze. What's the situation?" Blaze asked over the radio.

No answer.

"Blaze to HQ, come in-"

 _"*pzzzt* This is- *fzzzz* What's your situation?"_ The voice of the Doctor appeared on the channel, albeit heavily distorted with static. In the background, a commotion could be heard.

"Doctor, what's going on?"

 _"HQ's been attacked."_ The man replied, completely emotionless.

"What?" Blaze and Amiya looked at each other with shock

 _"HQ's been attacked."_ The Doctor repeated, completely matter-of-factly. _"Reuni-_ *fzzzzz* _had a mortar somewhere within the cordon and they managed to pinpoint HQ long enough to drop multiple bombs on us. There are...casualties-"_

The two Penguin Logistics members looked at each other, Exusiai opening up her fingers and counting off them. Meanwhile, Amiya asked, _"What about the LGD? What are they doing?"_

 _"They are trying to regroup. The Super-_ *crack* _-intendent is moving what's left of her command unit to a safer spot, and the Special Operations Unit is going to hunt down the mortarmen." the man's voice turned serious. "Have you linked up with Penguin Logistics?"_

"Yes, but-"

_"You need to find the girl a different extraction spot. The LGD is shifting position to counter further Reunion movement and the strongpoints are changing - but with HQ down I can't get their exact positions. So, either you may need to procure a separate vehicle to get her to an LGD complex - or, if worst comes to worst, procure public transport. I'll try to get you more details when I'm finall-"_

The sound of an explosion filled the channel.

"Doctor!"

_"I'm fine. Keep moving; Reunion won't lay low now they've got us on the back foot."_

The connection cut.

"Amiya, I'm spotting Reunion." Liskarm radioed. "One hundred meters out, running about Probably not looking for us, but exiting via the main entrance is definitely not an option now."

Amiya turned to the duo from Penguin Logistics. "Do you have any alternative paths out of here?"

"Well…" Exusiai pulled an angular, boxy and compact submachine gun from over her shoulder, popping out the box magazine to check the rounds within. "We know most of the streets here, so we can lead you out of here to safety - provided they haven't blocked all the routes, of course." the Sankta finished with a slight smile.

"Alright." Blaze said. "Where's the side entrance?"


	13. Chapter 3 - 3

_"Oh, you are interested in how I came to procure those Terran wares? Oh, that's some nerve of you, asking for trade secrets."_

_"Well, if you so kindly insist...some of these trinkets are what I get from Terran Messengers that manage to drop by the Last City with extra items to sell when doing business here. What's a Messenger, you ask? Simply put, they are one of the many couriers that connect the Terran States together via a semi-formal network, providing delivery services, secure information transfers or procuring rare items for the highest bidder...that sort of things. I mean, we do send our own teams to search for interesting things, but its still a little difficult getting the contracts and rights to sell things down here in the Last City! The costs scare off too many potential Terran partners."_

_"Oh definitely, Earth at large is still full of hazards, from pockets of Fallen to various awful hazards, and the transport/network infrastructure for the Terrans is still being recovered. Which is why you don't hear of them often - for one to come all the way down to the Last City is rather rare - or it could be that they don't want to be noticed!"_

_"This artefact? Oh, I got it from a certain blue-haired woman. I think she went by the name...Mostima?"_

\- _Overheard conversation at an Eververse Trading Company gallery_

==| Chapter 3 - 3 |==

After cutting the connection with Amiya, the Doctor looked at the tablet in his hand.

On it, was a simplified command & control interface, giving him position indicators and tags for all of Rhodes Islands local forces, all splayed out on the map of the battlefield. Some command functions were integrated into the portable system, but as compared to a full command suite, it was slow, small, and limited...

But it was what he had at the moment, and it proved useful nonetheless.

He tapped on icon after icon, each one pertaining to one of Rhodes' surveillance drones. It took a frustratingly long time to switch between the cameras of each drone, but when it did, a limited view of each position of the battlefield was displayed on-screen, showing a more direct view on the ground.

On each one camera, large groups of masked men were moving about, rushing through the buildings and streets, not bothering to conceal themselves any more..

_Fully out in the open...in contrast to prior strategies._

While thinking, the Doctor peeked around the wall he had taken cover behind.. A few LGD vehicles were either smoking or burning, with crater marks on the road where the mortar shells had missed and exploded on. Already, the LGD personnel had been evacuated - some having been brought out on bloodied stretchers. From a distance, a member of the local press and her cameraman tried to get footage - only to be roughly dragged away by another police officer.

A shape appeared in the air, and instinctively the Doctor ducked, closing his eyes.

_BOOM_

Another blast, and a wave of air and dust blew around the corner, blasting his helmet with dirt. Waiting for a few moments, he opened his eyes again, nonchalantly brushing the dust off his visor and opening the tablet again.

On the map, Rhodes' internal AI had finally calculated the origin point of the mortar, displaying its predictions as a large red area on the map. The Doctor labelled it, before going back to his thoughts.

_Out in the open and not even bothering to conceal…what is their gameplan here? They would want to capture the Ursus girl, but they don't even seem to be bothering here...the numbers on the ground are rather high..._

_This probably has to do with their unknown second objective, or the suspected cruisers waiting outside Lungmen. But even then...isn't this too much for a simple raid? In any case...I need to report PRTS's pinpointing of the enemy mortar team…_

The Doctor activated his radio, calling in on the LGD's frequencies. "Superintendent? Superintendent Chen, this is Dr Maxwell. Our AI systems have predicted the approximate location of the enemy mortar."

_"How did you- nevermind."_ The Superintendent replied, her side of the channel accompanied by static. _"What's the location?"_

"Coordinates 30-56, northeastern quarter of the City section."

_"...alright. I will dispatch a squad. But where on Terra are you?"_

"I'm-"

_BOOM_

Another earth-shaking explosion happened, causing the Doctor to duck, covering his head with his arm and gritting his fine. This one was louder and closer than the preceding ones, blowing much more dust and smoke into his hiding spot.

_"By th...are you still near the command post!?"_ Chen asked, her voice incredulous.

"Uh, yes" the Doctor replied, completely seriously. "I'm still trying to figure out what's going on. Reunion's forces are coming out of hiding in full force an-"

_"Wha- Get the fuck out and reposition! Now!"_ Chen commanded, barking through the channel - right before it cut out.

"Ah, um, yes." Caught completely off guard, the Doctor stowed his devices into his bag, swinging it around his shoulder just as the telltale whistle of a falling mortar round reappeared.

Taking the hint, he ran across the street to safety - past groups of terrified civilians - into another alleyway, just as the city rumbled with another explosion. In the cramp, slightly dirty place, he found another secure spot, pulling out the tablet again as he hid in its shadow.

"You are really something, you know?" Soulworker said, popping into existence beside the Doctor as he swiped through menu after menu on his tablet.

"Look, I'm busy, but what do you mean?" The Doctor asked, checking the mess of red and blue IFF signals colliding on his map.

"You just sat there completely unfazed by a mortar barrage while trying to think."

"I mean, I wasn't exactly letting myself get killed, I made some effort in getting away from the bombs -."

"What sort of sane person says that?" Soulworker cut him off, astounded at the Doctor's words. "Like, I don't even see Guardians act this unintentionally suicidal or implacable, you are the first person I've seen just shrug off mortal danger just like that. Even Exos don't act this nonchalantly about their bodies. Just...I heard the stories, but is this how you actually were?"

The Doctor froze.

"Just what I was? I mean…" as he thought, the Doctor's voice faded to a blank.

For a few moments, he tried to reach into the foggy mass of his memories.

_Nothing_.

He felt nothing, save an empty void.

"I…"

_"Doctor? Dr Maxwell?"_

A voice from his helmet pulled him out of his reverie. "Yes, this is Dr. Maxwell." He quickly replied, smoothly not skipping a beat.

"Doctor, this is the Backup Team." The calm, seniorly voice of Saria answered. "We've currently assembled on the transport and are ready for deployment."

"Hold position for the moment." The Doctor replied, checking his tablet. "We are still trying to examine how things are changing now that HQ just got bombarded. I'll get back to you once I have further details."

"Acknowledged, out." The scientist-cum-operator cut the connection.

"By the Traveler's broken bottom, this shouldn't be happening." Soulworker grumbled. "I can vaguely understand how Reunion might have gotten a Mortar into the city, but how well did they infiltrate to get a spotter to find and mark the command post? We've spent the whole of the last two days sweeping the area!"

"Too late for now, I think." The Doctor turned back to the intelligence map. Red dots pockmarked the entire interior of the city section, many of them coming into collision with the blue dots indicating the LGD and Rhodes.

"There are too many enemies and they are all throwing themselves at us." The Doctor said. "The number matches up with the estimate the LGD made...and with the numbers on our side, this is just going to end up with them all getting arrested or killed."

"So you are trying to figure out their gameplan?"

"Somewhat. If they are escalating down here for no real purpose, then I suspect that they are trying to tie up the LGD...away from other things. If their goal is to collect the girl, they would go for the temporary refugee holding area that we set up.

"That's fair...even though we definitely don't have the girl there, that's for sure. Should we call for more backup?" Soulworker asked.

"I think we can reassign a team." The Doctor activated his headset. "Orchid, what's the situation of A6?"

_"This is Orchid."_ A woman picked up the call. _"So far, we've been guarding the outer perimeter of the cordon. No contact with hostiles as of now."_

"Ok. I need you to bring A6 to reinforce the refugee holding area. There's going to be a high chance that Reunion might strike it later to find their target."

_"Understood."_ The call ended with the team leader's clipped and professional tone.

The Doctor continued to stare at the tablet's screen for a few moments, trying to glean some nugget of information from it. Finally, he sent out another call. "Superintendent, this is Dr Maxwell."

_"I see you are still alive. What is it?"_

"Have you managed to set up another post?" The Doctor asked.

_"No."_ The Superintendent bluntly replied. _"Until we fix the problem of that mortar, I can't justify bringing out more command vehicles. We are pretty much relying on basic radio communications and direction from LGD Cantonment."_

'Right. Anyways, I need more intel; judging by their current actions, Reunion is probably trying to distract us from another goal of theirs. I've sent a team to reinforce the refugee site, but I've a feeling that there might be a different objective here."

_"Since you asked,"_ the Superintendent began. _"One of the power generators for Lungmen's theatre shield system is located near here, down in the bowels of Section 32, and there are the nearby vertical farms in Section 29. Thing is,"_ she paused for a moment, before continuing, _"I've checked with the Department of Infrastructure, they've managed to confirm that they are not seeing subterranean movements out of Section 34. And none of our units have reported any enemy breakthroughs. So…"_

"It's a possibility, because I have - call it a gut feeling - that there's something else." The Doctor replied. "Thank you anyway."

The call cut, with no acknowledgement from the senior police officer.

Soulworker snorted "Talk about rude. Should we meet up with another unit?"

Maxwell looked at the tablet one last time, before stowing it in his bag again. "I suppose. Can't keep hiding in an alleyway."

"Nearest one is that way." Soulworker aimed diagonally outwards from the alleyway, before cloaking himself again.

Slinging his bag, the Doctor jogged out of the alleyway - right as someone screamed. He looked around, noticing a few emergency workers pointing up at the skies.

The Doctor looked up, and his eyes widened.

In the downcast sky, several black shapes could be seen dotting it, growing closer every moment.

_"I'm reading biosigns, as well as a lot of heat, and they are closing in fast!"_ Soulworker transmitted, just as shocked as his partner. _"How on Earth did they get up there?!"_

The Doctor's eyes widened, as various pieces fell into place in his mind.

" _Catapults…"_ he recalled, "Don't tell me... _human_...catapults?"

==|==

In an alleyway, a door was kicked open - again.

Exusiai poked her head out of the movie theatre's staff entrance, firearm in hand. "Clear! Let's move!"

She jumped out of the doorway, followed behind by Texas. After her came Blaze, who had Misha clinging tightly to her back while she wielded her massive weapon. Behind Blaze was Amiya, Franka and Liskarm, the last of which closed the door before the group departed.

Following Exusiai's and Texas's lead, the group avoided the main streets of their original path, slinking a quick yet careful trail through the tight alleyways of the slums, hindered by the spare furniture and makeshift structures that covered the alley from end to end. In these backstreets full of cheap posters and signboards, the group caught a few glimpses of the skirmishes between the LGD and Reunion wherever they passed a link to the main roads, but avoided them all the same.

That was, until a soft buzzing sound appeared. As they were running, a drone flew across a nearby residential block - only to suddenly change course and head straight for them.

Amiya turned to look at it. "That's not a LGD drone," she realised. "That's-"

Liskarm stopped, turning to aim her pistol, but before she could do anything, Exusiai had spun around and fired a burst in a single motion. The drone shattered in an instant, raining parts onto a balcony.

"- probably one of Reunion's." Amiya finished, a few seconds too late.

There was a loud, rough shout in the distance, followed by the heavy thumping of boots.

"Whoops." Exusiai said, apologetic. "Looks like they know we are here~"

"This way." Taking over, Texas pointed outwards, towards the main streets. "We need to go along the fastest route through the main street.

"Ok." Amiya agreed -

"There they are!" From an intersection behind them, a group of Reunion appeared, clumsily knocking through an alley-side cafe. "Stop the-"

"Go." Texas said, jerking a thumb aiming out of the alley. Taking the hint, the rest made their escape towards the exposed main street.

Moments later, the alleyway was filled with shrieks and curses, alongside the loud tumbling and shattering of many heavy and possibly expensive things

"Hey, Texas!?" Exusiai yelled, as the Lupo rejoined the group on the other side of the street. "What did you break this time?!"

"Some scaffolding." Texas replied.

" _Some_ scaffolding?! Whyyyy-" Exusiai pouted, while she reloaded a fresh magazine into her gun. "The compensation budget is already high enough!"

Behind them, the Blacksteel operators made a few silent gestures, Franka pointing at them and swirling her finger beside her head while Liskarm made an exasperated shrug.

"Anyway. Through here." Texas jerked a finger towards another intersection.

The group followed, making a brisk walk under the shadow of a half-finished shopping mall. At first, things seemed quiet -

"HEY!"

-until yet another group of masked men appeared, running in from the end of the street. Quickly, Liskarm and Exusiai turned and fired, sending a few men sprawling onto the asphalt. Crossbowmen fired back, and bolts flew past over their heads, save one thudding loudly into Liskarm's shield.

"These people sure have a knack for showing up right on time, don't they?" Blaze complained irritably, as she narrowly dodged a missile past her ear. On her back, Misha cried out, holding on for dear life as Blaze shook about.

"We can't stay here!" Amiya shouted, throwing a blast of energy at a nearing enemy. "Misha's not safe!"

The group continued moving, firing back a little before committing to getting away. A few Reunion soldiers with bladed weapons nearly caught up with them, only to go down screaming as Franka and Texas cut through them with their glowing swords and rapier. Soon, Amiya's group was in full flight, Reunion on their tail.

"Wish we had a vehicle now-" Exusiai began-

Just at the moment, a LGD patrol appeared, coming in from a street ahead on the left side. Seeing the sight in front of them, they stopped short.

"Great timing!" the Sankta cried out as they ran past. "Over here! We need some support."

The officer in charge looked at them, confused. Quickly, Amiya added, "This is Rhodes Island! We have the target and we are being pursued-"

"O-oh shit - move out!" The officer finally got the hint. With a yell and pointing of his baton, his column of heavily armoured troops charged forward, shocking the Reunion attack with a fierce counterattack. When Amiya looked back, a furious melee had broken out - thankfully pulling in all their pursuers.

"Left." Texas pointed nonchalantly, and they followed. At the end of the street, the LGD cordon was in sight, a few snipers waiting on the rooftops with a line of barricades on the street.

"Just a bit further," Blaze assured the girl on her back. "Just a bit further and you will be safe."

Misha nodded, but Amiya noticed she looked a little sick. _She's not used to the fighting…_

"Watch out!" Exusiai suddenly shouted.

A hand waved in front of Amiya, causing her to stop running, and-

_BOOM_

The air burst into smoke and dust. Some of them yelling in shock, the team quickly held up their hands, blocking their faces from the flying debris.

A few moments later, the dust and smoke faded, leaving a visible crater in the ground between them and safety.

"Exusiai," Texas began, "we need a new route-"

Before either of them could respond, two more things dropped from the air. In a flash, Exusiai pointed her weapon at them - only to freeze on the spot.

Crudely wrapped in paper and a bunch of wiring while emitting a beeping noise, it didn't take much for one to recognize them.

"Satchel charges…" Liskarm whispered, placing her shield between the explosive and her.

"That's right. Now -"

All of them looked up.

Atop of a squat shophouse, a lone figure perched. White-haired and thinly clad, with a tail dangling from her back, she held up a device in her left hand, her right hand pointing at it.

"- I have the power to blow allllll~ of you skyhigh - but I rather not do that." The figure spoke, in a chillingly sadistic voice. "Especially when it would be a waste to kill some of you. So, how about you just hand the girl over, and we'll leave you all alone? I might even break off the fighting in Lungmen if you agree fast enough."

As she spoke, the sound of rushing boots filled the air. Squads of Reunion burst into the area, forming up around Amiya's group and blocking all paths of escape.

"You are crazy, you know that?" Blaze yelled. "What makes you think you are getting away? We have this place surrounded, you bitch. We've even cut off all your escape routes and any means or support. In a few hours you guys are probably going to be behind bars, so why don't you make this easier for all of us and surrender?"

"Oh no, that won't do," the figure leaned forward, clicking her tongue. "You are new to this city, you definitely haven't found _all_ the escape routes. Besides," in a lazy, performative way, she pointed a finger up towards the sky, "what makes you think that you have _all_ of us surrounded?"

Amiya looked up. And her eyes widened.

==|==

"Next wave, go!"

"Move, move, move!"

Several kilometres away from Lungmen, under the cover of ancient ruins, activity surged atop a fleet of cruisers. Around the main turrets of each cruisers, groups of men clustered around them, all wearing a set of powerful jet engines strapped to their backs over a suit of black streamlined overalls, with a crude flight mask on their faces. All of their engines made a soft whine, powered up but only emitting minimal thrust.

A man stepped into each of the two turrets, two helpers attaching a crude metallic prod from his entire flight assembly into the turret's harness. In a single moment, the two rails whined with power, before flashing once - and in with a thrum of electromagnetic energy, the person within them disappeared, joining a group rapidly disappearing specks in the air, shooting off towards the Mobile City.

Another pair of jet-packed invaders stepped forth, gripping a small Originum crystal in his hand as he waited for the rails to finish its power cycle. When it was done, they were attached to the bizarre contraption of a weapon, and let themselves be fired as the next volley of men.

Skullshatterer was next.

His new pair of weapons attached to his hips, he adjusted the jetpacks on him one last time. Satisfied, he pulled his own Originum crystal out of his utility belt, channelling a certain Arts through it.

In an instant, his perception sharpened, his mind clearing and senses becoming hyper-aware. Satisfied, he gripped it tighter, letting the two helpers attach him to the catapult.

A sense of dread gripped him, as he stared into the clouds -

\- but Skullshatterer didn't have time to process it, in an instant, electric chains seized him and threw him towards the skies.

"GAAAAC-"

The sudden acceleration would have knocked him out - if not for the strange miracles of Arts. Before unconsciousness took him, Skullshatterer gripped the crystal tighter until he nearly crushed it, channelling more power through it. With the mental reinforcement, he stayed lucid - even as his body screamed from the sheer weight of the physical strain.

Quickly, he extended his legs and arms, unfurling small wings between them and his body. Arranging himself into an aerodynamic position, he 'leaned' forwards, before slowly increasing the thrust from the jet engines on his back.

Soon, the rest of the assault wave joined him, all making the same pose as Skullshatterer. He looked back and forth - and noticed a person missing. He looked down again - and saw a black shape tumbling away from them, towards the sands below.

"Hey, you!" Skullshatterer howled, desperately trying to reach the person over the roaring wind. "Stabilize yourself! Activate your thrust-"

Before he could finish, his companion had hit the sands, disappearing in an explosion.

_Dammit! At least...at least he died quickly._

He didn't have time to grieve, however. Ahead of him, Lungmen loomed, rushing up deceptively quickly. He and his compatriots angled their bodies downwards, aiming for a specific section of the city.

But as they approached, Skullshatterer smelled a strong tang of ozone in the air.

_Shit…_ "Everyone, accelerate! NOW!"

Panicking, he fired the thrusters, accelerating into the city proper. Around him, the various Reunion attackers hesitated for a moment, before following their leader into the breach.

And not a moment too soon, as a silver-hued shield blossomed into life, covering the greatest extent of Lungmen proper.

Skullshatterer looked around, brief relief filling him - for only a moment. A few of his men simply smashed headfirst into the shield, while one person barely evaded the glowing barrier, only for a dizzying line of lasers to strike him, and ignite his fuel tank.

Roaring with rage, Skullshatterer diverted his attention to the rapidly rushing up surface of the road. Reorienting himself in a moment, he aimed the thrusters at the ground. While the rest of his team followed suit, one of them instead hit a building, with a horrible shattering of glass and screams from the people within.

A few palpitating moments later, Skullshatterer and his team finally landed in the middle of a crossroads, the local citizenry having abandoned the area. A few groups of Reunion were already there, busy stripping off their flight gear and dumping it by the side. Upon seeing Skullshatterer two men ran up to him to help him out of his own.

"What's the situation? How many men are here?" Skullshatterer asked.

"About...35. W gave us the distraction, but it won't hold for long, she says." One of the men answered, sporting the telltale horns and tail of a Sarkaz. "Some of your guys also landed at the wrong area…"

"Tch," Skullshatterer said, shrugging off the jetpack harness and pulling out one of his launchers. "Then let's make their sacrifices worth it."

"Yes sir!"


	14. Chapter 3 - 4

_"ACCESS: RESTRICTED  
_ _DECRYPTION KEY: 73XK5V2PG1$AUN-326  
_ _REP #: 232-TERRAN-EVT_  
_AGENT: SOV-002  
_ _SUBJ: The Kazdel Affair_

_1\. Before we begin, I must warn that the details of this event, due to huge data loss after its conclusion, means that a large amount of the information here is what I could interpret from the few pieces that were available, and no doubt my analysis will be inaccurate. Even more important would be the fact that a large number of Terran States, especially the Laterano, have made an interest in concealing vital parts of said event. While this explains the minuscule amount of data I have managed to glean (compiled into the compressed file folder attached to this report), this also shows the seriousness of its occurrence - which I feel justifies the creation of this report._

_2\. Kazdel refers to a Terran State that borders Kaazmierz and the Ursus Empire, but other than that, little of it is known. Population censuses, vital details, are nigh-impossible to find on the Terran communication networks, save a few rumours such as the state being a sort of 'haven' for the much discriminated Sarkaz race. (it should be noted that the Terran information networks are not as well established or as developed as our own). In fact, all attempts at entry via Terran means into the alleged area have been rebuffed - neither Kaazimierz nor Ursus allows inter-border movement (as due to current geopolitical tensions), nor are there any existing flights or any sort of direct transport into the region. I've spent some time investigating the possibility of using Vanguard resources of infiltration, but as of now, progress has stalled due to severe increases in security due to the rise of the so-called Reunion Movement. A request for satellite imaging of the area is currently pending._

_3\. Details of the event itself; gleaned from second-hand sources in Kaazmierz/Ursus, it appears that a devastating civil war has happened recently to this Terran State, which also involved the participation of state agents of Laterano and Kaazmierz, with a large number of various unaffiliated GOIs having direct involvement in this event. For all intents and purposes, said civil war looks as if it has decimated the state entirely - several documents from the various Terran States including Columbia and Victoria indicate a pattern of exodus several years ago, alongside the large number of Sarkaz mercenaries that are found in the Reunion Movement or offering services in the surrounding areas._

_4\. As regards the ongoing disinformation campaign that seeks to conceal data pertaining to this event, this was confirmed by this agent's encounter and subsequent interrogation with VIP #30941. VIP #30941, for those unaware, is a Sankta Messenger that has a semi-permanent presence in the Last City. Interestingly, VIP #30941 exhibits the 'rumoured' nature of 'fallen' Sankta, as seen by her having various Sarkaz features. During a routine trip back to the City, this agent stumbled across her, and in a bar managed to get her to spill part of her service as a Laterano agent as well as a few vital details of Kazdel, after which this agent was promptly murdered by a Liberi afterwards, with said Liberi later being seen moving with VIP #30941. Considering that a large percentage of Laterano citizens are Liberi, this portion of the agent's suspicions is most likely true._

_5\. Various other VIPs were identified to have connections with Kazdel - specifically VIP #20694, aka a certain 'Dr Maxwell', currently in the employment of Rhodes Island Pharmaceutical Inc. Various unofficial AARs and bar-stories shared by mercenaries talk of an unknown but capable Originum researcher that acted as an important military advisor during the event. However, other than that, data about this person is fragmented, save that he proceeded to work for Rhodes Island afterwards. As the said person is currently in Ursus custody as of writing, it is impossible to approach him/her directly. For the sake of brevity, information and suspicions of other VIPs are placed in the attached folder, as they are too spurious to write into the report. It should be noted, however, that an interesting proportion of them have also found work at Rhodes Island._

_6\. With the details as of now, I recommend allowing for further research into this particular event to better grasp the state of Terran political affairs. As it stands, our knowledge of things that happen even on Earth remains painfully limited._

_MESSAGE ENDS"_

_\- A Hidden Intelligence Report_

==| Chapter 3 - 4 |==

"HQ, this is Orchid, we've arrived at the refugee holding area and are meeting up with the local LGD officers, awaiting further instructions."

A deceptively well-dressed woman tapped impatiently on her own headset for the umpteeth time, before making yet another call.

"HQ, this is Reserve Team A6, we have arrived at the refugee holding area and are awaiting further instructions, do you copy?"

There was still no answer. Exhaling irritably, Orchid gave up the attempt. Neither the LGD commander or the Doctor had responded to the call. She bit her lip in frustration - while her LGD counterpart looked at her with sympathy.

"The Mobile CP just got bombed, so I don't expect any of them to be able to give more directions in the meantime." He said. "I suppose you could help us lockdown this side of the holding area for now."

"Definitely, but -" frustration penting up, Orchid could not help but begin a tirade of her own. "I've been told to move my squad here because of a possible attack, but there's no information given whatsoever on the possible location and timing of the attack. I mean, how are we supposed to mount an effective defence with so little information?"

"Calm down, Ms." The LGD officer replied in a conciliatory tone. "Think of it this way - the situation's currently evolving. They probably don't have intel yet. Times like these, just rely on your training and stay calm."

Orchid listening to him, feeling herself relax as she processed the officer's words of wisdom. Finally, she sighed, replying, "Sorry, I'm still a little new to this whole command thing...truth be told..." she made a nervous laugh, "I'm not really suited for this."

"Everyone's first mission's like this," the man replied, trying to reassure her. "That said, your...gear…"

Orchid checked herself, currently wearing a blue-white dress and wearing a large-brimmed hat, her Infection Monitor - and the Oripathy lesion - peeking out from her left sleeve. Quickly, she slid a hand over the sleeve, pushing it to obscure both. "Oh, um, we aren't actually military, so we don't really get issued armour or heavy weapons."

"Make sense...but what's with the umbrella?" the officer pointed at the accessory hanging off her arm with a bulkily-gloved hand.

"Its my weapon," Orchid. "I admit it looks...odd, but it has an Arts device in it."

"Ah." The man nodded in comprehension. "I suppose its in line with the concealed weapon laws, t-"

A buzz came out of the man's radio, a throaty message muttered hurriedly in one of Lungmen's local dialect. The man picked it up, listened intently, then put it back.

"Sorry," the man said. "Situation update. I've got to move."

"What happened?" Orchid asked.

"Reunion somehow managed to break through the cordon. Something about jetpack units or…" the officer's eyes narrowed, trying to concentrate on what was being said on the other end. "I can't get the full message...but you should at least prepare your squad for a possible attack."

"Right."

The officer rushed off, presumably to handle things on his end, towards the main part of the holdingMeanwhile, Orchid reached for her communicator - just as a call came in.

" _Orchid, this is the Doctor. What's the situation like in the refugee holding area?"_

"Ah. Um," Orchid looked around. "Everything's fine so far, we haven't been attacked or anything."

_"Alright."_ The Doctor said. _"I need you to cover the southwest checkpoint to the area, as its the less defended of the two places-"_

"We have it covered, the LGD liaison told us to guard that area beforehand."

_"Ah. Um, nevermind. I will be heading over to take over command. Doctor, out."_

The call ended as quickly as it began. Though a little puzzled by the sudden communication, Orchid turned her attention back to her own responsibilities.

"Squad A6, what are- are you all in position?"

" _Catapult here, I'm at my firing position."_ A gutsy female spoke over the line.

" _Spot here, I'm guarding the left flank with Popukar and Midnight."_ A blunt young man answered next.

_"Midnight here, more than ready to enter combat~"_ this time, a drawling male voice responded, eliciting a snort from Orchid.

_"Popukar...here, also ready for combat…"_ Finally, a young, nervous, girly voice responded.

" _That just leaves you, Orchid."_ Catapult drawled before Orchid could say anything. " _Too busy chatting up that officer, issit?"_

"Be quiet." Orchid replied, not in the mood to take the younger woman's sass. "Are you guys seeing any enemies?"

_"Nope,"_ replied Spot. _"All clear_."

"Alright, I'm coming over."

The squad leader deactivated her mic, picking her umbrella off her arm and gripping it by the handle, aiming it outwards. She turned around, looking at the public courtyard where the refugees were gathered. Under the watch of many LGD officers, the refugees huddled in groups, frightened.

_To be in that position_ … Orchid thought, feeling a level of pity for all of them trapped there.

_Then again, I - technically - wouldn't be here if I wasn't an Infected myself. But it feels so long...since I had a proper desk job._

With that thought in mind, she made her way to the rest of her squad.

Alongside a wide series of barricades set up in advance, the other entrance to the refugee holding area was a gated checkpoint - the gates being a pair of grilled-metal barriers - watched over another squad of LGD officers. Meanwhile, just behind the gates, three members of Squad A6 waited, looking over the gates with apprehension.

"Finally here, leader." The member at the front - Spot -, a furred, armoured man with a large shield and a dismissive attitude - said, looking at her with a rather bored expression. "Anything important happen?"

"Nothing. All we have is that the LGD's HQ went dark," Orchid said with exasperation. "The Doctor asked us to cover this checkpoint, and that he's coming over, but other than that there are not many instructions."

_"Eh? He's coming over? Personally?"_ Catapult asked with a spot of incredulity, _"Wow. Huh. Guess things have gotten really serious."_

"On the bright side, we will get our chance to demonstrate our strength," Midnight - the overly suave gentleman with messy hair and casual suit, with his only protection being a light vest beneath the jacket - "and your glorious leadership!" he finished, pointing at Orchid.

Spot snorted, while Orchid merely gave the man a stink-eye. A few seconds later, Catapult guffawed across the channel, filling it with loud raucous laughter. _"Terra's sake, you just_ suck _at pick-up lines."_

"That wasn't a pickup, that was a geni-"

"Even if it wasn't, you still suck." Spot joined in, throwing more fuel onto the fire.

"Be quiet," Orchid repeated, eyes narrowing with irritation. "Seriously, do you all realize how serious the situation is?"

"Well yes, but-"

Orchid's umbrella swung upwards, and everyone shut up, getting the message.

"Good." _Thanks for the tip, Dobermann._ "Alright, just-"

"Incoming!"

Before Orchid could actually make a move, one of the LGD officers made a shout. "Group of hostiles, directly ahead!"

Two men at the barricade pulled out crossbows, aiming them down at the advancing Reunion. Orchid caught sight of them - horned, wearing some sort of suit and wielding a large greatsword -

_Sarkaz mercenaries?!_ She blinked, recalling Dobermann's lectures, before realizing that she wasn't moving. "Get to the barricade!" She shouted, rousing her teammates to action from their shock. Quickly, Squad A4 ran for the barricades, Orchid and Spot at one side, Midnight and Popukar on the other.

The two LGD snipers fired - one bolt hit the first Sarkaz in the shoulder, while the other was narrowly dodged by the other. As the snipers squatted to reload, Orchid stood up, and swung her umbrella, channelling energy into it.

A glowing blue bolt shot out of the umbrella's tip and hit the bulky man in his chest. The man staggered, not stopping, but slowing down his pace greatly, causing him to scream in frustration. Without hesitation, Orchid switched targets and fired off another bolt, staggering the other man as well.

Midnight pulled a blade out and swung it, sending an arc of white light at one of them. As it struck his leg, the Sarkaz screamed and collapsed, a touch of blood staining the floor. Meanwhile, the two snipers stood up again with their crossbows reloaded and fired, causing the other Sarkaz to collapse with two bolts in his chest.

The LGD officers quickly opened the barricades, dragging the two Sarkaz in before handcuffing them and giving some basic first aid. Meanwhile, Orchid looked out, carefully watching the now quiet streets.

"Just two people?" Spot asked, suspicious. "That...doesn't seem right. Where's the rest?"

As he said that, the quietness felt eerier and eerier by the second. The Lungmen units raised their crossbows again, sweeping the area but not firing anything. Orchid and Midnight held their Arts devices at the ready, waiting for the slightest sign of movement.

Suddenly, there was a loud _pop._

"GRENADE!" Spot suddenly yelled, and next thing Orchid knew, was Spot dragging her in, before raising his shield over the both of them. Midnight grabbed Popukar and dived behind a nearby vehicle, while the LGD men dived away from the barricade, desperately looking for cover-

_BOOM_

Something loud went off, causing Orchid to wince before her headset's suppressors kicked in. Spot grunted as something loud thudded painfully against his shield, while a twisted pile of metal flew past, making horrifying shrieks against the asphalt before smashing into a nearby car.

"What the fuck!" Spot snarled, taking a peek out from the makeshift cover, while Orchid sat there, stunned by the shock and sensory assault.

_"Orchid? Spot?"_ Catapult yelled over the communicator. _"Hello? Answer me da-"_

"I'm fine!" Orchid shouted back, stirred awake by the younger wman, while the various LGD officers tried to recover from the blast... "Just - just start shooting back!"

"R-roger!" A loud shucking noise could be heard - the telltale sound of a grenade being loaded into Catapult's makeshift launcher - as A6's sniper replied with equal parts shock and relief. "Oh, shit...there's a lot of them…"

Spot suddenly grabbed Orchid again, hunkering down with his shield - but this time, she quickly placed both hands over her ears. An earthshaking quake rumbled the ground around the both of them, the noise thankfully muffled this time.

"Doesn't matter!" Spot yelled at Catapult, letting go of Orchid to let her stand up. "Aim for the guy who's hitting us, or we are all gonna-"

A series of faint thudding noises could be heard, the sound of a pneumatic piston blasting with rapid succession. A series of canisters flew out of a nearby window, sailing across the cross-junction - before falling into a fresh group of advancing enemies. As Orchid watched, Catapult's makeshift explosives detonated one by one, sending screams and shouts among the charging enemies.

It didn't stop the frontline of attackers, however. Spot rushed to meet the nearest two masked fighters, blocking them both with their damaged shield. On instinct, Orchid sweeped up her umbrella again, quickly stunning one of them with a bolt, allowing Spot to send him reeling with a haymaker. The other man barely had time to react before the shield slammed him into unconsciousness.

The LGD officers managed to get back to their feet, and got into the fight with vigor. Before long, the melee engulfed the checkpoint wholly, stun baton and stave fighting off blade and sword.

Orchid retreated a distance, too aware of her unarmoured self. Again, she swung her weapon again, stunning or slowing a few Reunion fighters -

\- just as she noticed another man far behind in the intersection, wearing a more elaborate outfit than the rest, wielding a rotary grenade launcher. Silently, he aimed it upwards, adjusting the angle -

Orchid realised. "CATAPULT!" She screamed into her communicator. "Get away! You are being targeted!"

The man fired.

_"Wait what - oh shit WHATTHEFUC-"_

Catapult's perch disappeared in a blinding yellow blast, just as her comms fizzled out.

"CATAPULT!" Orchid screamed. "Damn _you-"_

Her umbrella slashing fiercely through the air, she quickly aimed it at the man responsible. But not before he had loaded the next grenade, and in a low, muffled voice, shouted, "Retreat."

The line of Reunion attackers around the checkpoint suddenly fell back, pushing off their opponents as they did.

Orchid instantly understood. Running as far away from the checkpoint, she shouted, "Spot, get back-"

Another airburst grenade fired. Quickly, she dived behind the pillar of an adjacent building -

The blast went off. The shockwave hit her full force, and before she knew it, Orchid's head hit something, and the world went white.

==|==

_This is the Doctor, calling anyone from Team A6? Please respond-"_

The first thing Orchid heard when she woke up was a familiar voice.

Slowly, her head pounding from the concussion, she pushed herself off the floor. Her hat fell off - battered, but otherwise undamaged - as well as dirt and dust off her dress.

Instinct - as drilled by the Instructor - caused her to slowly, painfully, raise her hand to her headset. "This...this is Or-"

Before she could finish, there was a rough shout.

Suddenly, something grabbed her by the hand, forcefully pulling her up.

"Ow! H-"

Her leg screamed with pain, as she was dragged by the arm, painfully pulled across a stretch of rubble and cracked road. Her captor dumped her by the remains of the guard checkpoint, causing her to look up -

-at a group of masked figures.

_Oh no_. Orchid thought. _What happened to the rest of my team?_

One of them, wearing a more elaborate gas mask under a red black hood, knelt down towards Orchid, close enough for her to notice the man's widened eyes, and his messy white hair.

_"Orchid? Orchid!"_

A rotary grenade launcher swung from his belt, sophisticated and futuristic. When she saw it, a cold bolt of realization hit Orchid.

"You…" she began, anger slowing boiling up in her.

The man didn't even notice - or did not care for - her furious expression, instead slipping out a piece of paper from his pocket. "So tell me, Rhodes," he hissed through his mask with barely-masked contempt, "have you seen this person?"

The paper unraveled, showing a faded photograph of two figures. One male and one female Ursus, both white-haired and young, stood side by side, smiles frozen in ink-bound stasis. A much newer streak of red ink circled around the girl, indicating that she was the target.

Orchid thought of the few Ursus students still aboard the Ark, but none of them fit the bill.

"No, I don't." Orchid returned, a little weakly.

"Again?" The man leaned in closer, not actually picking up on her words.

"I said, I don't know where this person i-"

Suddenly, the man's fist shot forward, slamming into her stomach.

"Gaak-"

Overwhelming pain shot through her body, with the protective layering of her clothes barely blocked the blow, and Orchid keeled over, coughing saliva onto the shattered road.

"I have no time for lies, Rhodes." He hissed again. "Tell me the truth, or I will-"

"I am telling the truth." Orchid spat back. "I... _do...not_ have any clue about this person."

The enemy leader twitched but said nothing.

Meanwhile, Orchid's headset continued to emit noises. _"Orchid, are you there? A6-"_

_"This is Midnight, sir - Orchid, um, she's been captured by Reunion and we are trying to retrieve her, but we are outnumbered and the enemy leader is there. Catapult's been taken out by a grenade - Spot's trying to find her now-"_

_"Sorry...I'm being chased by Reunion now. Listen, get LGD support, and -arrrgh!"_

_Catapult...hopefully she's still alive and Spot can get to her…_ Hearing her teammates' voices, Orchid felt fearful for them, a desperation setting in her.

Meanwhile, the enemy leader paced around, holding a handheld radio up to his ear. "What, you actually found her? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

He paused for a moment, before kicking a stray piece of rubble on the ground. "Screw you, W, I did this because I had zero communication from you and the whole operation has gone to shit!"

Another pause. "Fine! Fine. But if I see that you fucking mess this up, I'll make sure that Talulah will personally burn your sorry merc ass."

The Reunion leader finally dropped the call, affixing the radio back to his utility belt. "Right, guys - we are leaving for the next objective. Prepare to move."

"Yes, sir." His guard left Orchid, beginning to walk towards him.

"Wait," the man pointed at one of them, who was wielding a crossbow, "Finish her off."

Orchid's eyes widened in shock.

All of the Reunion fighters stopped, looking at each other with uncertainty. "Skullshatterer, what t-"

"Do it." The leader repeated with venom.

Unsteadily, the young sniper unholstered his weapon, his hand shaking as he loaded a bolt. As the bolt's tip glinted in the dim sunlight, Orchid felt a chill run up her spine.

_"Doctor? Doctor! HQ, anyone? They - they are going to kill Orchid!"_

For a few moments, the both of them stared at each other, neither making a move. Orchid's hand shuffled around for a weapon, but there was none to be found; meanwhile, her would-be executioner simply stood there, finger wavering on the trigger, a terrified expression on his own face.

"What the fuck are you waiting for?" The Reunion leader spat. "Pull. The. Damn. Trigger."

"Sir, look-" Another of his guard stepped up to him. "She's Infec-"

"Enough!" Without warning, the leader pushed aside his compatriot, marching towards Orchid. "So what? They are just dogs following our oppressors. _Traitors._ "

As her soon-to-be murderer advanced towards her, Orchid backed up quickly - only to hit a wall.

"If all of you are too pathetic to finish one person off," the Reunion leader said, pulling a short sword from his belt, "then I will do it m-"

The sudden roar of a nearby chainsaw cut him off, causing he and his men to look . He and his men looked around, searching for the source of the disturbance.

"Wha-"

"ORCHID!"

A loud, familiar scream filled the air, as the chainsaw roared louder. From behind a nearby pillar, Popukar ran out, the chainsaw held out with both hands as she charged the Reunion group. Midnight appeared behind her, his blade at the ready and shining.

Yelling, the Reunion group tried to aim their weapons at her, but the diminutive girl got there first. The makeshift weapon swung, and one man fell screaming, as the chains ripped through his armor and clothes in an instant. The others tried to support, only to fall back as multiple Arts blades shot through the air, stabbing a few of them.

The Reunion members, in return, counterattacked with sheer force of numbers. Even with her devastating weapon, Popukar couldn't hold them off, and a few of the terrorists sidestepped or flanked her, trying to get blows through her guard.

"Orchid! Get back!" Recklessly, Midnight charged into the melee, and ended up grappling with another Reunion fighter, his powers and sword forgotten.

A crossbow fired, and a bolt hit Popukar, causing her to stumble and nearly lose control of the chainsaw. Midnight took a knee to the stomach, and as he reeled back, two more men charged him, slamming punches into his chest and face.

Orchid raged, forcing herself to sit up with the last of her strength. She raised her hand -

\- but with no wand, staff or Arts device, she couldn't cast anything.

Midnight finally took one final punch to the face, and he fell to the ground, sword clattering out of his hand. Someone hit Popukar on the head with a pommel, and the smaller berserker was knocked to the ground, the chainsaw finally shuddering to a stop.

The entire group turned to Orchid, who was stumbling to her feet.

"Screw this." The enemy leader wrenched a crossbow out of his underling's hands, before snatching a bolt from that person's bolt. "Go to hell, R-"

_FZZZT-_

Blue light flashed, and with a wake of distorted space, a man warped into the group, levitating a few centimetres off the ground, wreathed in a cloak of writhing lightning.

Before any of them could react, the man turned his hands on two of the terrorists, and lightning flashed out to strike them both. For a single moment, they _screamed,_ before sheer electromagnetic power blasted them into nothing but dust.

The others fell back, horrified. The new arrival turned to face them, raising his arms again -

"RUN!" The enemy leader yelled. Before he himself could be vaporized, he swiped something off his belt and threw it at the levitating figure.

Quickly, Orchid turned her head away, as lightning reached out to smite the object. Moments later, the world flashed, with the sound of a flashbang muffled by her headset - and the loud trampling of retreating men.

Hiding her face for a few more seconds, Orchid looked up and saw only her saviour kneeling in the ruined checkpoint, the Reunion unit fast disappearing.

She could hear his muttering as he slowly picked himself off the ground - wearing an all too familiar coat. "Dammit…"

"Doctor?" She asked hesitantly, pushing herself to her full height. "Is that you?"

The man spun around, revealing the all too familiar hood and mask of their commander. Except, when she peered into it, the man looked less like the calm, friendly, confident person that she had ran across - now, the Doctor's face was black as thunder, eyes wide open in rage.

And yet, when he raised his hand to speak into his headset, it was like nothing had changed.

"This is the Doctor. Team A1, relocate to the refugee holding area immediately." He spoke so matter-of-factly, that Orchid had to suppress a shiver when she heard his voice. "We have casualties here and we need additional support to provide medical aid."

He turned his attention to Orchid. "How many enemies attacked this checkpoint just now?"

"I…" Orchid tried to remember, only for a pounding headache to return. "I don't recall exactly...ouch...I was knocked out when they bombed the checkpoint."

The Doctor simply nodded, before saying, "Soulworker, heal her. And her team as well."

"Huh?" Orchid said, not understanding the statement.

"Just do it."

Before Orchid could say anything, a small floating drone with a worn-out green chassis appeared beside the Doctor, before aiming a beam on her. A few moments, she felt the pain in her head slowly dissipate, and when she raised her arm, she caught sight of a cut disappearing, skin knitting itself back together, leaving a line that rapidly vanished.

She stared at the bot, taking in its unique appearance, but as soon as it was done with her it raced over to attend to her teammates. Midnight coughed as he stirred awake, but Popukar remained still on the ground, abeit more visibly breathing this time. Meanwhile, when she looked back at the Doctor, she saw that his face had softened.

"Doctor-"

Orchid began, but the man cut her off, "Please don't speak of this to anyone," he said, in a far softer, more familiar tone, "This absolutely must remain a secret."

Midnight and Orchid looked at each other, before nodding.

"Good," he continued, "I just confirmed with Spot, Catapult's alive, but injured. We are airlifting her back to the Ark. So, the rest of you join up with A1, do what you can to keep the refugees safe. The rest of us will pursue the remaining Reunio-"

There was a cough.

All three of them turned. One last man, with a Reunion-marked band wrapped around his arm, was struggling to get up from the ground. One lost soul forgotten by the rest.

"You have your orders." The Doctor said, his voice distant again. "Now, if you will excuse me."

As Midnight and Orchid watched, the Doctor walked over to the injured terrorist. Kneeling down beside him, the Doctor asked, "I need you to answer some questions."

The terrorist stared at the Doctor for a few moments, before finally saying, "Fuck you."

"It wasn't a request."

Quick as a flash, the Doctor grabbed his enemy's arm with his right hand. As soon as he did so, lightning curled around his right arm, like a pit of snakes ready to strike.

"W-what are you-"

"Where are you and your group supposed to be heading next?" The Doctor asked, in his all-too-calm voice. "Answer this and I will let you go. You have ten se-"

"Fuck you, you crazy son of a bitch!"

"-conds. Ten. Nine. Eight…"

Even with the Doctor's body blocking, Orchid could still hear the man's fierce struggle. The man tried to break free from the Doctor, but he could not shake off his grip.

"...Seven. Six. Five…" The lightning on the Doctor's arm seemed to glow a little brighter.

The terrorist threw a punch, but the Doctor caught it easily. "Four. Three. Two."

"OK! OK! Stop, stop! I'll tell you, you fucking freak!" Crying, the man gave up any pretence of bravado.

"Out with it then." The Doctor said.

"We were...we were going to head to Section 34, to the...the generator for the Lungmen shield system." The man gasped out in between terrified breaths. "We were going to set charges -*cough*- to blow it up."

The Doctor considered the information, but did not let go of the man's arm.

"I-I swear, this is true! P-please don't kill me-"

The Doctor let go of the man's arm, before leaving him to sob. Standing up, he turned back to Orchid, before pointing at the terrorist. "Get some first aid, then hand him over to the LGD when he arrives."

As he began to walk off, Orchid called out, "Where are you heading?"

"To stop Reunion from blowing up that reactor." Without another word, the Doctor jogged off, leaving Orchid and her team in the middle of the damaged street.

Orchid simply stood there, thinking of what he had done.

There was a shuffle, and Orchid turned to see Midnight standing up, picking up his weapon from the ground. Under his messy hair, he bit his lip, looking as conflicted as she was.

"Did you think…" Orchid began.

"I…" Midnight began, his cheerfulness absent. He looked down at the ground, sliding his hands into his pocket. "I mean, considering what they were going to you, I'm not exactly partial to Reunion at the moment."

"Y-yeah…" Orchid said, the thought of her brush with death giving her a shiver.

"At the same time…" Midnight continued. "We all heard the rumours about him. But!" The former host tried to inject some positivity into his words. "He saved all of us. I'm not going to judge him too harshly because of that…"

Popukar suddenly coughed, and Midnight's voice trailed off as he ran over to check on her. Orchid, meanwhile, still stood there, still conflicted on what she had seen.

==|==

"Superintendent? This is the Doctor. Reunion is going after Section 34 next, and I am heading there myself."

_"I was just going to contact you regarding that. We just had multiple reports of a large group of Reunion heading in that direction. I've already ordered your backup unit to head there, if you are asking. I'm also sending our forces there as well."_

"Understood. How is the rescue team faring?"

_"They've found the girl but got into trouble. However, Inspector Hoshiguma should be with them shortly."_

"Acknowledged."

The Doctor cut the communication, continuing to walk through the streets. Already, a few civil service vehicles had arrived, trying to assess the damage dealt by the Reunion paratrooper unit. Civilians were peering out of the high rise buildings that surrounded him, shocked at how far the devastation had reached.

Meanwhile, as the Doctor made his way, looking for a vehicle, he still could not stop thinking of what had just happened. The image of the Reunion leader goulding his men to execute Orchid burned in his mind, blending with a few other unfamiliar images.

_-a tyrant slowly killing off a group of kneeling men, making a public spectacle-_

_-speeches laden with hypocrisy spoken by knavish men-_

He shook his head, trying to focus on finding a vehicle. For some reason, the mere thought of those images themselves, despite being unfocused and blurry, filled him with a fierce anger.

_"Are you fine?"_ Soulworker asked, worried.

"I…" the Doctor tried to answer, but upon thinking further, the answer stuck in his throat.

_"I suppose it's not my place to say such things, but…"_ Soulworker continued. _"You didn't exactly have to hang the threat of torture over that man, you know."_

_You didn't have to do that, a certain woman said to him._

Another ghost of a memory hit the Doctor, and a wave of pain washed over him, even as he didn't know why he felt as such.

_"There's already been so much pain, so much suffering, that I would do so much to hasten its end." The response was as such, and the woman looked away in bitter disappointment, even as his heart remained absolute._

A wave of fury washed over him, before receding to leave yet another dull hollowness.

_I said that before, didn't I? But when? And why...even when I say that, I feel...so much..._ wrong _...with it?_

_"Maxwell?"_ Soulworker asked, drawing away from his thoughts. _"Are you…"_

Reality set in again, bringing back the sounds of chaos.

"To be honest, Soulworker?" The Doctor finally replied. "I don't know."

_But, even as I stand on the knife-edge of my memories, there's still work I need to do._

"What's done is done, though." The Doctor continued, as reality brought back the direness of the situation. "We've got the information, and we need to stop Reunion before they blow the generator up."

An officer saw the Doctor and waved, pointing to an empty squad car nearby.

_"Alright, um, sorry for disturbing you."_ Soulworker replied, apologetic.

"Its...fine," the Doctor tried to force a smile, unsure if the Ghost would get its meaning. "Look, we can continue this conversation later, alright?"

_"If you say so."_


	15. Chapter 3 - 5

_"...following the events of the Great Disaster on the Moon, the Vanguard picked up warnings of a Hive counterattack targeted across Earth. While the City Fleet would have been sufficient to ward off assaults, the concurrent second attempt of the Fallen to retake the Traveller forced the Consensus to devote most resources to the more direct threat. Such a move would have severely compromised the security of Earth and exposed the Terran States to the genocidal nature of the Hive, had not an unlikely intervention occurred._

_A certain Hunter by the name Ana Bray, against the direct command of the Vanguard, managed to seek out the Warmind Rasputin, utilising her previous life as one of the Warmind's chief scientists to approach it/him. By successfully opening a line of dialogue between the Warmind and the Consensus, the Bray allowed the Vanguard to request procurement of additional armaments from Rasputin to hold off Hive seeders and tombships. While the Consensus could not accept the creation of a Warsat network around Earth, they were successful at procuring a large stockpile of Tripwire-Class autonomous defence mines from various Seraph bunkers around Earth._

_However, deployment yet proved to be another problem, with minimal ships and yards available, which caused the Consensus to occupy the Cosmodrome of the Old Russia Sector to speed up the process. However, this unprecedented move would inflame tensions with the Ursus Empire, which claimed the Cosmodrome as under its jurisdiction..."_

_\- Excerpt from 'Our Wars with the Hive', an informational website found on the inter-City network_

==| Chapter 3 - 5 |==

"Sooo...perhaps you are more amiable to surrender now? Come on, we don't have all day."

While the Reunion ringleader silently gloated over them, Amiya was blinking, too busy thinking of the sudden appearance of the paratroopers. _So that was why they brought those cruisers!_

Beside her, Blaze gripped her massive weapon, looking around at the surrounding enemies - as well as the all too obvious bunch of bombs scattered on the ground. Misha, clutched harder to Blaze’s back, making fearful looks at her escort.

Meanwhile, Franka whispered, “Any ideas?”

“She’s getting desperate,” Texas said, sword in hand and similarly examining the battlefield. “Even with the reinforcements, she knows she has no way of holding this position; so she’s trying to end this quickly by forcing us into a parlay-”

“Uh, Texas?” Exusiai cut through, looking left and right. “I think you got your speculation wrong, because I can clearly see more enemies coming in to surround us!

Amiya took a peek - sure enough, the loud thumping of boots could be heard, with the shadow of multiple squads running about in the surrounding streets.

“...then perhaps she’s trying to delay us instead.” Texas corrected. “The longer we stay, the more untenable our situation becomes.”

“I hope either of you is aware that we do have a bunch of bombs on the ground as well?” Liskarm asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Ehhhh…” Exusiai thought for a moment. “Right, that as well.”

“The bombs are the main problem, yes.” Texas continued, “But...no, that wouldn’t work, unfortunately.”

Amiya finally spoke. “I can deal with the bombs.”

“Huh?”

“Whoa, seriously?”

“What do you…”

A chorus of replies came after that statement. Amiya took a deep breath, before looking down at her fingers - where she wore a blue ring on all ten of them.

She turned her hands around, examining the ring. All of them looked perfectly intact, with not a single blemish - as she could see.

 _This is what the Doctor would do, right?_ She thought to herself.

“I can deal with the bombs,” Amiya repeated, firmer. "Just be prepared to run."

Blaze furrowed her brow. "Amiya…" she began, only to be cut off.

"Well, you are the boss," Exusiai said, loading a fresh magazine into her weapon. "But where? They've blown up the nearest checkpoint."

Amiya looked around, seeing only a wall of enemies surrounding them. Finally, she noticed that the junction they had just crossed was only beginning to fill with people.

"There." Amiya pointed, and took a breath.

Energy surged through her, bringing along the all-too-familiar uncomfortable feeling. The Originum embedded in her body reacted to her impulse, some vibrating, some warming, as she began to channel power through her tiny body.

Franka grimaced, her own Infected body sensing the surge of power. Some of the Reunion combatants they faced against looked around, getting nervous.

"What are you-" the perched woman began to shout, the remote dangerously gripped in her fingers.

"Hang in there, Misha." Blaze quickly asked, helping the girl hold on tighter to her. The girl's legs dug harder into Blaze's body, but the large woman paid it no heed. "Ready, Amiya?"

Amiya didn't answer at first, gathering power until it reached an equilibrium she could use. "Yes."

Blaze nodded to the rest, and they _moved_.

Before anyone could react, the barrel of Exusiai's submachine gun swooped up. The staccato pattering of Originum propellant igniting was followed up with the sound of bodies hitting the ground, or that of masks shattering.

The next few moments were very quick.

As the Reunion groups fell into a panic, loud rapid beeps were all emitted by the explosive charges on the ground.

Quickly, Amiya released the buildup of power within her. The world seemed to sigh as the chimeric ward unfolded, shrouding across her entire squad and muffling all the sound from outside its reach.

The bombs detonated, the sound and flash of the explosion muffled and shaded by the shroud. Amiya cried out, the sudden force putting a strain on the ward and her. Immediately, she released the ward, and the world rushed back in with a wave of smoke.

Blaze charged out first, blasting out of the smoke like a berserker and aiming for the hole that Exusiai shot in the enemy formation. Her massive weapon swept in a crescent wave, and the already stressed formation collapsed. Those lucky to be at the back scrambled away, while those at the front went down screaming in a cloud of shredded armour.

Quickly, Liskarm and Exusiai followed up, firing away to widen the opening. Meanwhile, Franka grabbed Amiya's arm, pulling her along under the cover of their squadmates.

There was a shout, and projectiles shot over and around their heads as panicking enemies tried to stop their progress. But with equal parts professionalism and ferocity, the squad completely broke through, dashing out of the intersection with Blaze at the front.

A headache began to pound in Amiya's head, even as she ran to keep up with the rest of her squad. Between the pain and the stress of keeping up, she could also see various more enemies trying to chase them down.

One group quickly caught up, cutting off their way forward, forcing Blaze to turn right, and away from their goal of the City Section's edge.

"Dammit!" Blaze howled in frustration, jamming a finger to her headset. "HQ! This is the rescue team; we are being overrun by Reunion! We need backup ASAP!"

 _"Rescue team, this is HQ…"_ A female voice replied, ringing in everyone's headsets. _"Currently the Special Operations Unit under Inspector Hoshiguma is heading to your location. However, they are disabling the enemy mortar-"_

"Just how long will they take?!"

_"-Sorry, but since HQ got attacked, we've not been able to get up to date information of their location."_

"Get the LGD units in the section to help us out then! If we lose Misha, it's all over!"

"...they are all currently engaged in combat." The operator at the other end sounded flustered. "I'm sorry, but-"

Blaze closed the connection. Just at that moment, another group of Reunion appeared, cutting off a route of escape and sending another volley of bolts and missiles.

At that moment, Texas flinched with a grunt. When Amiya looked at her, the feathery end of a bolt was protruding out of her shoulder.

"Texas!" Exusiai cried out in worry.

"It's nothing," Texas spoke through gritted teeth. "It's…"

"Still a wound." Amiya cut her off. "Blaze, let's take cover!"

Blaze nodded, and with the squad following, quickly spun around a corner, before zigzagging down an alleyway to throw off their pursuers. As Reunion squads began to mill around looking for them, the Rhodes Islanders ducked through the half-open storefront of a traditional medicine hall.

Cowering in the darkness and hemmed in by the potent smell of herbs, the entire group took cover. The two Blacksteel mercs began ruffling through their pouches for first aid supplies, while Exusiai turned on a torch and began stripping Texas.

"Exusiai, here." Liskarm got to hers first, tossing something over.

"Thanks!" Exusiai replied, freeing Texas's jacket from the bolt. "Now, Texas, bite on this -"

The Lupo bit down on the proffered object, before making a strangled scream as Exusiai ripped the bolt out. As the projectile clattered to the ground, Exusiai pulled off Texas's shirt and quickly began cleaning the wound, causing Texas to make involuntary hisses of pain.

Meanwhile, Amiya watched, the headache finally beginning to subside now that she was able to rest. Still, she made loud gasps for breaths like the rest, all of them exhausted and sweating from the extended run for safety.

"Are you alright?" Amiya turned to see Liskarm asking the question. "Did the blast affect you badly, or…?"

"I'm fine." Amiya replied, managing to hide her discomfort. "I'm more worried about Texas...or Misha."

"I-I'm fine!" A quiet squeak came from the space beside Blaze.

"Mmmf mmgf." Texas tried to speak, forgetting she still had the gag. Quickly spitting it out, she said, "I've taken worse. But if this keeps up, I don't think we can hold out any further-gaak!"

"Don't be too loud!" Exusiai quickly whispered as Texas flinched from the sting of the wound.

"...you try being the one injured." Texas bit back, before turning to Amiya. "...besides, doesn't Rhodes have Arts 'healers' or something?"

"Well, we didn't bring one." Blaze replied. "Infiltration op."

Texas leaned back against Exusiai, grimacing again.

“We should start moving soon,” Franka started, worried. “If they find us, they are going to overwhelm us…”

“Or we could hold this position, blockade it, and wait for the LGD to extract us.” Liskarm piped up, adding her own points. “If you ask me, this is a pretty defensible position.”

“You can’t just hunker down in here and just start a fight in someone’s shop!” Franka rebutted.

“Wartime insurance,” Liskarm said, maintaining her poker face. “Last I checked, all expenses covered by the Lungmen government. It might even be a good time to refresh stock.”

"Seriously, you…"

The two suggestions hung in the air, and for the next few moments, there was no sound, save rolling bandages and Texas’s flinching against her wound. The various operators looked at each other, no one committing to either side.

Meanwhile, there continued to be the faint thumping of boots around them, like a many-legged monster looking for lost prey.

“Seriously?” Blaze piped. “No comments? Proposals?”

“I mean, both sides have merit…” Exusiai said, adding a nervous laugh. “Besides, I could hold this position, but I could also do an escort mission…”

“Either works for me too.” Texas added as Exusiai began wrapping a bandage around her wound’s dressing. ”Though I could do with the LGD saving us once in a while.”

As it were, both Messengers’ eyes ended up trailing on Amiya, with Blaze’s following suit.

“I guess it’s your call, Amiya.” Blaze finally said.

Amiya simply nodded, and began to think.

_What would the Doctor do…?_

A memory came to her.

_A man stood in the middle of a meeting room, deep in thought. Always wearing the hood, the helmet, and the jacket. Even though she found it strange, she had never asked him why - it just felt natural that the man wore that strange getup._

_"We will aim to clear them out as soon as possible. I will authorize the use of heavy weapons and explosives. Split into three teams, perform a pincer attack from the northside."_

_"Sir, as regards to this...we don't have enough manpower to staff three whole teams."_

_"Very well. Draw from the reserves to act as backline support, and devote the rest of our main combat teams for the actual fighting."_

_"But, everyone's really overtaxed, if we push further-"_

_"I understand the risk, but this is our very chance to nip this problem in the bud." The man turned around, visor staring at his subordinate. "And I will take that gamble-"_

Quickly, Amiya shook her head, trying to shake off the memory.

“Amiya? Are you ok?” Blaze had noticed the motion, and asked, concerned.

“No, I’m fine.” The young executive replied. “I’m just thinking…”

 _No...I must focus…we are surrounded and outnumbered. Liskarm’s suggestion might work, but we don’t know how long the LGD would take to arrive, and Misha’s condition isn’t the best. How do we approach this?_ Amiya asked herself, looking at her squadmates in turn.

_The Doctor would take the gamble. That’s just the Doctor. He would try to exploit the fact that the enemy doesn’t know that we are here to force a breakout. Ending this swiftly...would help us greatly as well. But...should I do the same…?_

Amiya looked across at her teammates again, at their faces at each turn. The stone seemed to drop into her stomach.

Finally she made her decision.

“We will move out.” She finally declared, to the rest of her squad. “Misha’s safety is paramount, and we don’t know how long the LGD will take to arrive. Besides...the faster we conclude this, the faster Reunion is pushed out of the city.”

All of them nodded in turn.

_Yet...this won’t be enough, right? We will be constantly ground down again if we go on the same route..._

“However, let’s try something to hold them off.” Amiya continued. “We will split up.”

That got her looks.

“Eh?” Blaze looked at her. “I heard you right, Amiya? You want us to split up?”

Amiya nodded, her expression severe. “We will get cornered if we go as a single group - they will just overwhelm us with the weight of numbers. But if we go as two groups and avoid combat completely, we could break through the encirclement.”

“Wouldn’t they just focus on the group that has Misha, though?” Franka spoke, pulling from her expertise as a mercenary.

“Oh. Right.” Amiya realized. “I didn’t think that angle through.”

“Wait,” Everyone turned to Exusiai, who was helping Texas put her shirt back on. She was looking at the back of the shop, where a sack lay on the ground, abandoned. “I think I have an idea for that…”

==|==

A few minutes later, Amiya, Exusiai and Texas burst out of the alleyway. Misha bounced on Texas’s back, her limbs bound to the Lupo with raffia string. By coincidence, a nearby Reunion squad was around, only to be forced into hiding as Exusiai fired a burst at them, the gunshots cracking the air.

Meanwhile, there was a scream, and an all-too-familiar popping sound, as Blaze and the rest made an explosive exit from the other end of the alley.

“This way!” Texas called out, pointing down another street.

As they ran, the familiar buzz of enemy drones appeared - only for Exusiai to down them as soon as they appeared.

A burst of enemy units began to follow them - albeit in fewer numbers. Exusiai took potshots at anyone she could see, only stopping to swap in fresh magazines into her submachine gun.

“Exusiai, don’t waste too much time shooting!” Texas called out, staying steadily at the front of the pack. “It won’t work if they manage to see me properly!”

“Well, I still have to hold them off, right?!”

Another unit appeared, forcing them into another detour. Immediately, Amiya could feel her legs starting to ache again from the extended running.

 _“LGD Special Operations Unit to Rhodes Island. This is Inspector Hoshiguma.”_ A brusque, female voice entered their comms, demanding an answer. _“What’s going on? Why does it seem like you guys stirred up a hornet’s nest?”_

“Inspector!” Amiya replied, “Reunion’s searching for us! So we’ve broken into two teams to try to break out!”

The Inspector cursed in a local dialect. _“Why didn’t you say earlier? Now we have to catch both your teams-”_

“Inspector, please focus on the team heading down the main street!” Amiya cut her off, desperate to get her message through. “They are the ones with Misha!”

_“Just one of you? What about the other team??”_

“We will manage!”

 _“Ok…then, head for Sector A6 at Hung Tsai Road!”_ the Inspector replied in a concerned voice. _“We’ve just secured that location, you should be able to get out there!”_

“Thank you!”

With that, Amiya’s team continued their mad dash for the exit. Running through another exit -

“STOP RIGHT TH-”

They suddenly ran into another enemy group. Immediately, Texas drew her swords and lunged straight towards it, while Exusiai fired away.

_Chkchkchkchkchkchkchk_

The firearm buzzed, shocking the enemy group just as Texas leapt into them. Brandishing her weapons wildly, the Lupo broke the enemy formation, clearing a path. Before she could react, Amiya found herself grabbed by Exusiai, who dashed right behind Texas through the breach.

Not idling for a single moment, they ran under the shelter of a lane of shophouses, bursting through a shop full of cheap, out-dated children’s toys. The sounds of chasing enemies seemed to taper off, but they kept running.

Finally, they arrived at a crossroads, right next to a massively tall construction site. The three of them began to slow down, now truly exhausted from the chase.

Before either of them could rest, there was a transmission.

_“Blaze here, we’ve rendezvoused with the LGD!”_

Hearing it, Amiya breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good! How’s Misha?”

“She’s...not looking good.” Blaze answered with trepidation. “Since the LGD’s kinda disorganized now, we can’t hand her off to them yet, so I’m trying to get one of our medics to look over her condition first.”

“I see.” Amiya said, more than jubilant. “If so-”

“Amiya, wait.”

Texas suddenly looked around. “Its too quiet,” she said. “They’ve stopped chasing.”

“Isn’t that...good?” Amiya spoke between heavy breaths.

“Maybe, but-”

“Texas! Watch out-”

Exusiai shouted a warning, just as a black shape launched itself from a nearby shophouse roof. Spinning around, Texas raised her sword - only for the shape to slam into her, knocking her onto the ground.

Before Texas could struggle, the newcomer pinned her arms to the side with her legs, before punching her straight in her shoulder. Texas made a scream, losing hold of her left sword.

Quickly, Exusiai and Amiya prepared to fire - only for the black shape to raise her own weapon, a slender, old and rugged black assault rifle.

“Yo.” The same bomb wielding Sarkaz that they faced earlier now faced them again, bearing that same shark-like smile. “So, that’s how it is, huh?” she said, as she looked at something else.

All of them turned to look at it. Lying on the ground, a large, child-sized sack, haphazardly painted in white and black with a wig on it

“Very nice, very nice.” the woman’s tail twirled around. “I suppose the girl must now be with the LGD now, hmmm?”

“Get off Texas. Now.” Exusiai spoke as she turned back to the woman, her voice dangerously quiet.

“Are you sure you want to threaten me when you are the one out of ammo?” The Sarkaz mercenary said, still smiling. “Your bolt’s forward~”

None of them said anything, save Amiya drawing further on her reserves of power.

“Fine. Anyways, it seems that we’ve lost already, so I guess there’s no point in fighting further. Still,” The woman said, her gaze fixating on Amiya, “It's good to see you again.”

“Huh?” The woman’s sudden statement caught Amiya off guard.

“I’ve been watching you for a while now, and so far you’ve been doing pretty well for yourself.” The Sarkaz woman continued. “The name’s W, by the way, but-”

“She’s got a grenade!” Texas quickly yelled.

“-whoops.”

Too late, Amiya and Exusiai noticed the woman’s hand right at her utility belt. Before either of them could react, W grabbed a canister and swung it in one large throw-

-and there was an explosion of smoke.

All three of them began to hack from the smoke, before quickly crawling away and out as it subsided. Wildly, all three of them looked around, searching for their target...

...but there was no trace of the Reunion commander, save her laughter in the wind.


	16. Chapter 3 - 6

_'"Amiya. What's the Doctor's condition?"_

_"Oh, Ace. Its...memory loss."_

_"Amnesia? Crap, The Ursus really took their toll."_

_"Its a bit more complicated, but...yes, he doesn't recognize any of us. Or what he did."_

_"I suppose visiting him might be a bad time, then."_

_"Maybe not now, but perhaps...you can join him in the Lungmen operation."_

_"Thanks...what's with the long face?"_

_"I...we lost Scout and his team. We lost quite a few good people, and with the Doctor like this..."_

_"Hey, Amiya. Remember what I said to you? We all made our choices in joining you. Don't devalue their sacrifice by doubting your choice."_

_"Hmm. Still, the Doctor..."_

_"The Doctor will pull through, I'm quite certain. Memory loss wouldn't stop a man like him."_

_"Haha."_

_"But I guess, now it's your job to help him through? Oh, how the tables have turned."_

_"It feels strange. That now, he is relying on me."_

_"I think he will rely on you just as much as you relying on him. Just like how we all rely on each other, Amiya. And I think, if we are going to give him a huge job as 'helping the Infected', he's going to need a lot of people."_

_"Thank you, Ace."_

_"Don't mention it. Though, if you were to think about it, this might actually be the better outcome for all of us..."_

_\- Conversation on the Ark_

==| Chapter 3 - 6 |==

_chuf-chuf-chuf-chuf-chuf-chuf_

One of Rhodes Island's compound helicopters swooped out of Lungmen's skies, into one of its non-descript industrial sectors - a large, sprawling block of factories and pipes that seemed to be built into the section itself. As it descended, the sleek aircraft aimed for a large, empty loading area.

Inside the helicopter, a green light flashed as a bell sounded, and the helicopter slowed, hovering over the ground as the fierce downwash whipped up a blast of dirt. As it touched down, a LGD squad vehicle drove into sight, stopping just outside the loading area.

As the helicopter finally touched down, the helicopter's passenger bay doors opened. From within, two operatives emerged from the helicopter side facing him. Saria appeared first, the scientist-cum-operative wielding a tower shield with a complex device attached and her syringe gun, followed by Frostleaf, whose diminutive form was dwarfed by the large halberd she wielded.

From the other side three others appeared. One was a Sarkaz who held a large compound crossbow, wearing a light skirt and minimal protection. Another was a smaller girl with exoskeletons on her legs, well covered in a hooded jacket while holding a device that looked like a cross between an antenna and a gun. The last operative was the sole male in the group, a grizzled combatant wielding a hammer and a tower shield, wearing a thick combat vest with pouches all over it.

Meanwhile, the door of the LGD vehicle, and the Doctor emerged. As he and the reserve team walked towards each other, the helicopter began to ascend, while the squad car drove off.

"Saria, Frostleaf, Meteorite, Glaucus, and...Ace," As they walked towards each other, the Doctor recited off their names, "I got all of your names correct, right?"

They all nodded in turn.

"Are you all aware of the current situation?"

"Not really." Meteorite said, holstering her crossbow on her back. "We know there's been a sudden attack on HQ, but other than that we've been in the dark."

"Ok." the Doctor slapped a gloved fist into a palm. "So, about an hour ago a group of Reunion rocket-jumpers managed to bypass Lungmen's defenses and enter the city proper, before attacking the refugee holding zone. After this, they immediately came to this city section, to go after one of the power generators for Lungmen's theatre shield system. Currently, they've managed to overcome the security there, and are probably trying to sabotage it as we speak."

"The LGD have formed up near the main entrance and will be conducting their own sweep of the area. As for us, we will be conducting a pincer attack through the subterranean sections, through the access point -" The Doctor pointed at a drab, plain building just opposite the lot "-here. Any questions?"

"Do we have access to the local control systems?" Glaucus asked, with a quiet soft tone.

"Lungmen has opened all the access tunnels for us, but…" The Doctor thought the query through for a moment. "If need be, you have my advance permission to subvert any of the local controls. I will handle the explanations. Just don't...do too much damage."

"Acknowledged." The small woman nodded, pulling out a tablet and checking on it.

The Doctor continued. "While Glaucus will provide any technical support, Ace will be the point man, Saria will provide medical support. Any other questions?"

All of them shook their heads.

"Alright. Let's…" the Doctor paused, and in that single moment, his hands visibly shook. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Doctor?" Ace asked, a frown on his face.

"...its nothing." the Doctor quickly recovered, sliding his hands back into his pocket. "Let's form up."

==|==

_"Team A, in position."_

_"Team C, in position."_

_"Team B, in position. Reporting a large number of enemies. Requesting additional support before breach._

As she could hear the Lungmenites make final preparations before their assault, Saria couldn't help but think of the man that led them. Afterall, as they stood in silence in a passageway, staring down an access tunnel waiting for the command to come, there wasn't much else to do anyways.

There had always been the rumours, of course. Rhodes Island had a past shrouded in mystery, and theories often sprang wild about the three most senior members of the organization, all of which seemed to have too many skeletons in the closet. Amiya, someone all too young to attain leadership over an entire organization; Kal'tsit, the mysterious doctor whose purpose was vague and past vaguer.

And there was Maxwell. The much whispered figure of the Kazdel Civil War. A person so skilled, that whose existence that most of the older members in Rhodes believed would bring the organization to a new golden age.

Saria threw a glance at the rest of the team. Meteorite was prepping her explosive bolts, while Glaucus was aiming her strange weapon down the tunnel, performing calibrations. Frostleaf simply stood and waited, with a patience only brought by experience.

Meanwhile, the Doctor was in conversation with Ace - one of the very senior members that held such a faith in him.

"So, how are you finding things - at Rhodes, Maxwell?"

"It's a nice place, I guess. But otherwise...I can't really say much. Its only been a week, after all."

"I understand. But what do you think of everyone?"

"...everyone's been great, I suppose?" the Doctor replied with some uncertainty. "So far, dealing with the operators, learning about people...its, I suppose, I could say, fulfilling."

"That's good to hear."

They lapsed into silence, but for only a few moments. The Doctor asked, "actually, there's one thing…"

"What is it?"

"Just what was my relationship with...with Dr. Kal'tsit? In fact, just...who was I?"

The last three words came out as a quiet whisper, barely audible even in the quiet.

 _I think you might be asking the wrong person,_ Saria could not help but comment in her thoughts. Still, she continued to listen, straining her ears in the process.

"Heh, that's a question with a difficult answer. I don't even have much of the answers myself. Let's just say you and her...just have a long history. One that hasn't been the best. Both of you had different...views? Perspectives? As in, regarding Rhodes. I know she doesn't...have the best of attitudes regarding you, so just try to be understanding."

"Hmmm."

"As for _you_...not trying to put you on a pedestal...but you are one of the best we ever had. When I say we need you, Doctor, we truly mean it. For a brighter future, if I may. And trust me, all of us, we will do whatever it takes to bring it."

"Peace for the Infected…seeing how much you guys have to go through, it's a question with no easy answer."

"True." Ace let out a sigh. "But nonetheless...we can only look forward."

They lapsed into awkward silence, allowing it to reign for a while.

Before Saria could drop her interest, Ace started speaking again.

"What do you think of Amiya?"

"She's...she looked a little young at first, but really, she's really capable." The Doctor perked up. "That little encounter with that...Eliksni? She was really good at that moment, managing to make that Captain back down. Still..." the Doctor looked away, "I can't help but feel...that's still a lot to push onto a young girl."

"Can't say I disagree," Ace admitted. "Though she's definitely grown into the role. Still, Doc, she definitely needs you...so please, do your best at supporting her."

"Funny, it feels like it should be the other way round."

A round of soft, awkward laughter erupted around both of them. Meanwhile, Saria turned away, thinking about her life, the memories that hovered like a sword over her person. Her old life, a prestigious position in an acclaimed organization. Research so cutting edge that it allowed them no barriers in their work. A friend so close they could have been in a relationship.

All gone in the inferno of that day.

She set herself adrift, allowing her boat to wash on Rhodes Island's shores. But those memories had been her strength, her motivation to continue. Even if she could not face either of them again, despite being so close...

But what about the man with a hidden face, who had forgotten all he had done, all that he had been? Or did he truly forget? And, if her suspicions about his 'amnesia' were true...what would come out of such a being, even if he was tied to Rhodes' banner? And of the hope, the trust, that so many people invested in him…

Only one thing was certain. With all that on his shoulders, she could not help but pity him.

_"LGD to Rhodes Island. We are breaching. Prepare for secondary entrance."_

The entire group stood to attention, the Doctor putting a finger up to his

"Ah...Copy that." The Doctor answered the call. "Let's continue the talk later, Ace."

"No problem."

The last few moments of waiting grew tense. Meteorite and Glaucus aimed their weapons down the hall again, while the radio chatter increased in traffic as the LGD made final preparations.

"HQ to all units, status is go."

_"Understood...3...2...1…BREACH!"_

The ground shook with the tremour of a distant explosion, while the group heard shouts and hasty commands from the tunnel they faced.

_"Rhodes Island, be advised, opening Access Port."_

Hearing the warning, the Doctor nodded. "Meteorite, Glaucus."

"Ready!"

"Hmmm."

From the end of the tunnel, an armoured blast door hissed, before slowly grinding open - followed by various yells of surprise.

Meteorite shot first. A large explosive bolt shot out of her crossbow, sailing through the breach - followed by a blast of light on the other end, accompanied by the shocked scream of those unfortunate to be caught in it.

Glaucus followed up, her weapon emitting a hideous whine. Blue light glowed across it as the rails of the device charged, the whine rising in pitch - before culminating in a crackling whistle.

The entire length of the tunnel plunged into darkness, followed by the _ka-chak_ of circuit breakers snapping into action. Almost open, the door ground to a halt.

Quickly, the Rhodes Island group snapped their issued pairs of night-vision goggles over the eyes.

"Move in."

At the Doctor's order, Frostleaf and Ace moved in first, walking swiftly and sliding through the blast door. Saria and the Doctor followed up next, while Meteorite and Glaucus fell in behind, holding their ranged weapons aloft.

In the darkness, a few Reunion soldiers stumbled around, groping around in the faint darkness. One of them felt their approach, shouting a warning, but Ace quickly dispatched him with a bash from his shield. The rest of them tried to mill around, but the Rhodes Islanders merely evaded them, heading for the still illuminated parts of the facility.

Entering into light in a large open concourse, they flipped up their goggles - just as a group of Reunion rushed around, trying to help their fellows against the LGD. Quickly, Glaucus zapped one with a blue flash from her weapon, but the rest charged the group, and a brief melee ensued.

"Block!"

One of them marked Saria, and quickly ran at her with a bladed staff. Thinking quickly, the scientist blocked a deadly stab with her shield, before turning to let the staff slide past. Before the man recovered, she moved in, slamming the shield into the man, activating her Arts. The complex device attached to her shield beeped, the shield itself rimming with orange light, shocking the man and sending him crumpling in an unconscious heap.

She turned around, seeing the rest dealing with their own. While Ace faced down two men going at him as Glaucus tried to slow them down, Frostleaf was struggling with a large towering man with a sledgehammer. The nimble mercenary slide around, avoiding his oversized weapon while striking at him with her halberd - but the bladed weapon simply bounced off the many thick layers of armour, while Frostleaf was slowing down…

"Some support would be handy…" Frostleaf, avoiding another lethal swing of the hammer.

Without another word, Saria moved in. Channeling her Arts again, she activated a different part of her shield, before hitting the ground with it. Out of the ground, a white material grew forth rapidly, slamming into the Reunion heavy hitter. The man roared in surprise, trying to break free, but the white material consumed him, holding his limbs in place.

Immediately, Saria aimed her gun at Frostleaf and fired a dart. As the dart hit the younger woman, it injected a vial of dark-yellow stimulant, causing her to shake from the sudden boost. Taking advantage of it, Frostleaf raised her weapon, and as a coat of ice began to form around the halberd's blade, she swung it at her opponent.

_Fsssssss-chak!_

The cryogenic blade hit the armour, and the sheer chill of its temperature turned it brittle in a single moment. The armour shattered under the impact, and the blade sliced a vicious blow.

Saria released her grip on her Arts, and as the calcifying material crumbled, its prisoner collapsed, dead.

Beside them, Ace quickly dispatched the last of his two attackers, and the group reformed their formation.

"Is everyone alright?" The Doctor asked, as he and Meteorite rejoined the group from their retreat point.

Everyone checked themselves, before all nodding, all unscathed. Meanwhile, Saria pulled out an adrenaline shot from a belt pouch, silently offering it to Frostleaf.

"I don't need that," Frostleaf refused. "But thanks for saving my life. That was...impressive."

"You are welcome." Saria replied, ignoring the compliment.

==|==

_"LGD to Rhodes. What is your current situation?"_

"We are heading towards the main reactor room. So far, other than a few people we have met little resistance. Did most of Reunion divert themselves towards you?"

_"Mmm. We are encountering heavy resistance. A bunch of Arts Casters have managed to lock down the main access shaft."_

"I see." The Doctor replied. "Does that mean we will…"

"Yes, we will be unable to support you in stopping the sabotage. However, it's likely that Reunion will only have a few members left in the main area. Good luck."

"Understood."

The Doctor cut the connection. Around him, the Rhodes Islanders finally arrived at the back entrance to the facility's core, where a pair of armoured doors blocked the final way.

Ace walked up to it, but the door remained locked, a red lockdown screen flashing on its access point. Looking around, he tagged at an external panel, revealing a bright red lever. Pulling down on it, the access point went dead, and the penumatic locks died with a harsh hiss. Immediately, the doors rolled open of their own volition, with barely any sound.

A massive circular hall greeted them. In the middle of the room, a massive spire stood in the middle, extending to the ceiling and the depths below while crackling and radiating with lightning. A metal catwalk circled around it, before extending towards the four main entrances and exits. Above and below the catwalk, massive pipes and cables connected from the walls of the hall towards the central spire, carrying possibly exotic matter or fuel. The very heart of the reactor was a glowing sphere that sat a few meters above the catwalk itself, light intense enough to illuminate the entire hall - and the large ring of what looked to be explosives attached just below it. All the while, the reactor indunated the hall in a loud, constant hum.

"...this isn't an Originum reactor, this is…" Saria began, the researcher awestruck but the exotic technology on display.

 _"It's an Arc Energy Reactor, probably a downsized version of those being used in the Last City."_ Soulworker whispered from beside the Doctor, to him only. _"Which is no surprise, I guess; neither the City's engineers or Lungmen proper would have been able to interface a Golden Age-style theater shield system with Originum-based power."_

"I see." The Doctor whispered, before turning to Saria. "It isn't Originum, its Last City technology."

"I see, but that means-"

"Wait." Ace cut off the discussion with a hand, advancing a little onto the catwalk. "Reunion's there."

Sure enough, in the middle of the hall, the last few Reunion fighters stood waiting around the spire. One of them was bent over the main access terminal, tapping away, while another stood by, watching.

"No dice, boss." They could vaguely hear the conversation, as the technician stood back up. "I can't force an emergency shutdown without the access codes."

"Shit." The other man - who the Doctor recognized at the hooded, masked man who terroized Squad A6 - spat, before continuing, "What about the overload? Didn't we just mess with the emergency conduits just now?"

"Yeah, but-" the tech tapped at the console again, only to shake his head. "- its not working, even following that...that person's instructions. I think they installed some kind of AI to check if we are trying to sabotage the reactor and its not letting me go through with it."

"AI? What do you- never mind, can you do anything else? I don't want to actually blow it up, Talulah would fucking kill me if I did so."

"I don't think so…"

"Come on, you gotta have something else, we are running out of time!" The Reunion leader snapped, causing the tech to back away a little.

"Waitwaitwait, let me…"

The 5 Operators and the Doctor looked at each other. "How do we begin?" Frostleaf asked.

The Doctor looked at the enemy, pondering. "Meteorite, shoot that technician with a non explosive bolt. Frostleaf, Glaucus, try to stun the enemy leader or something. The rest of you…"

"...dispatch the rest." Ace finished. "Got it."

Meteorite swapped the bolt out, as the team crept forward, bit by bit. Slowly, they got as close as beginning of the bridge to the central spire, before finally stopping.

The Doctor looked back, and made a gesture to the Sarkaz sniper.

Immediately, Meteorite pulled the trigger, and with a soft hiss, a bolt flashed, before embedding itself in the tech with a loud thump.

As the man collapsed onto the station, the Reunion fighters looked around wildly -

\- and Rhodes charged.

Frostleaf made a overhead swing, and launched the cold afterimage of a blade at the enemy leader. Before the leader could react, the ice blade shattered in his face， sending him reeling and crashing cold onto the catwalk.

Around the Doctor, the final melee ensued, Ace, Saria and Frostleaf facing a retinue of lightly arm3d skirmishers. And yet, despite their poor equipment, they fought savagely, managing to form a line to block the Rhodes Islanders on the catwalk.

"Screw you, traitorous scum!" As they kept up their fierce defense, the Reunion group hurled insults and crys, while raising their crude weapons and shields.

Ace grunted, but merely stepped back, before charging into the melee again. While Glaucus tried to find a good position to fire her weapon, the Doctor kept back, frustrated by the continuing stalemate. A bolt of Arc Energy sparked in his palm.

He watched, as the Operators fought to clear a path, wavering between unleashing his terrible power, or leaving into them, uncertainty pressing a cold doubt onto him...

...though it wasn't needed. With a final grunt, Ace's warhammer smashed through someone's guard, breaking a hole in the tiny group. Almost immediately, a bolt courtsey of Meteorite hit another in the chest and sent them crumpling to the catwalk, while Frostleaf took out two more in a frozen cleave.

The last man tried to stay his ground, only for an electroshock shield to send him reeling.

Quickly, the team ran forward, clearing the area around the catwalk. Quickly, Ace pulled the dead body of the Reunion technician off the console, and Glaucus ran over to check it.

"Any issues?" The Doctor asked.

"Hmmm...sorry, I'm not familiar with the interface." Glaucus replied. "This is rather advanced. Still, they have tried sabotaging the outer systems…" She tapped away at the strange UI, looking at the few available tootips - "...but there's a final safety lock preventing a full shutdown of the whole reactor, so it should be fine."

"Ok, righ-"

"Watch out!"

Everyone spun around - only to see the enemy Reunion leader, sitting up, holding something in his hand.

"Screw you. Rhodes-" he roared, like a madman with no way out - "-ALL OF YOU CAN GO TO HELL!"

"GET BACK-" someone shouted, and quickly, the whole Rhodes Island team began to retreat.

But before the Doctor could move, the enemy leader pressed the object in his hand.

The last thing he knew, was the explosive near him ignitin-


	17. Chapter 3 - 7

_"With recent happenings, especially the increasing number of violent encounters within the Ursus Empire., most entities have imposed various restrictions on the Reunion Movement. Many Terran States have placed it on various blacklists, with many sympathizers of the Movement having been arrested under various anti-terrorism laws._

_...and yet, for all the problems with the Reunion Movement, I believe this is only the beginning. The Ursus Empire may have the largest share of issues with the Infected, the ever-increasing population of Infected by virtue of the steady uptick in Originum industrialization means that the 'problem' of Oripathy will remain. With discrimination against the Infected a historical and ongoing precedent, the societal issues as regard to such will only continue to escalate."_

_\- A report regarding the Reunion Movement_

==| Chapter 3 - 7 |==

_"So, Maxwell...that's your name, right? Mind explaining why you are with us, all the way here in the depths of Leithanien?"_

_The wood-ish smell of the tavern wafted through the air, mixing with the warm like glow of the incandescent bulbs to create a homely feel. For the traveller, it was a welcome thing to be, after long periods of journeying and moving…_

_"Research. I'm here to learn more…"_

_His words caused a stir._

_"Research? Oooooh. So, you are one of those fancy Victorian or Columbian scientists, snooping around these wilds? Wouldn't it be easier to stay cooped in those labs?"_

_"Even further, actually. Let's just say…I came from Paradise itself. And Paradise...doesn't offer everything."_

_"Now that sounds like a story. Barman! One tankard of mead for this fellow, on m…"_

_The light of the tavern swirled into a whirlpool of thought, plunging him into darkness-_

The Doctor gasped awake.

Soulworker hovered him, Light flowing from his open shell while the Ghost shined a torch on him. Groaning, the Doctor tried to push himself up - find himself grabbing hold of a piece of bent metal.

"What happened?" The Doctor asked, looking around. The place they were in was nearly completely dark, save a few dim lights that shined from the sides. He looked up - and felt a sense of vertigo, seeing only the faint glimpse of a light far upwards from an obscured ceiling. "And where are we?

"One of the foundational buttresses of the City section near the bottom of the reactor hall." Soulworker replied, reforming his shell while keeping his light on. "They...managed to blow up the reactor. You got caught in the middle of the explosion."

"I...dammit." The Doctor groaned, simply sitting up. "I...suppose I messed up, then. I suppose Lungmen isn't happy?"

"Sorry, I lost contact with the upper areas when I went down to fish out your body." Soulworker replied. "Last thing I heard, the enemy leader managed to escape, managing to pul his squad into the deeper parts of the superstructure."

"Wait, doesn't that -" The Doctor looked about in confusion- "mean they could be all around us?"

"I suppose yes," the Ghost replied, "but given that they should be trying to be running away, we are most likely safe here. I've already planted a rescue beacon, so...someone should be coming for you soon."

The Doctor stared at him. "Soulworker, you _don't_ plant a distress beacon in enemy territory."

"Perhaps you would like to stay down here forever, then?" the Ghost replied, bristling.

The Doctor sighed, taking a better stock of his surroundings. In this seemingly endless enclosure, he could pick up bits and pieces of fresh debris - broken steel girding, exposed pieces of rubble - in the gloom. In between, stood several tall and wide pillars - structural supports for the higher levels, each marked with a faded number.

"Where's the rest of the squad?" The Doctor finally asked, remembering. "Did they-"

"They managed to get away in time. I think. Oh right-" Soulworker 'grabbed' something, dumping it in front of the Doctor. "Your bag. The tablet and multimeter's broken from the fall, but the Originum is still in there, so-"

"Thanks." The Doctor grabbed it, opening it. "Closure's going to kill me, I guess."

"Good thing you are a Guardian, then."

Ignoring his broken electronics, the Doctor fished out a water canteen from the bag, feeling suddenly thirsty. For a few moments, the only sound in the cavernous hall was his gulping, while Soulworker merely hovered side to side, scanning things at random.

"Hey." the Doctor began, as he capped his bottle. "Soulworker, um…"

"Yes?"

"You know, what is _your_ past?" The Doctor asked.

"Why would you ask? Like I said, I'm just another overly-curious Ghost wandering the Earth." Soulworker replied. "Nothing more, nothing less."

"That sounds like...a dodge."

Soulworker stopped moving. "Funny thing, to come from the likes of _you._ "

"I, look," the Doctor replied, "I don't even remember my own past-"

"Exactly." Soulworker cut him off. "I don't need to know your past, and vice versa. We are Guardian and Ghost. I am your partner, and to this end I will go through with you thick and thin, all the way."

With Soulworker's words the conversation was brought to a halt. In the gloom, both of them stared at each other, saying nothing.

"...sorry." Soulworker relented. "I'm...just really touchy at times with that sort of conversation. I didn't mean…"

"Its…fine." Somehow, the Doctor felt a certain ease, a touch of familiarity with the Ghost's outburst, like something he had experienced once -

And it disappeared, as quickly as it came. Like before, he mentally clawed at those feelings, but they slipped past his grasp, like sand pouring through the gaps of one's fingers, leaving only him and his own frustration.

"Gah."

"What is it?"

Soulworker hovered over to the Doctor, who was now knocking the side of his head with a gloved fist.

"Its...look, for a good chunk of today, I've been having all these small...flashes, glimpses, of what I guess might be my memories? But," the Doctor hissed, "Every time I try to recall more things, all I feel...all I feel is, nothing. And when...when I chased off the bastard from executing A6, I...I felt so _angry_ , so full of _rage_...even though I don't...know why. Ace said so many things about me...but I...am I that person?"

Soulworker moved a little closer. "It's...not uncommon for Lightbearers to feel all of that, because all of them, pretty much, don't remember who or what they were. There's only one that did so - and that's the Voice of Rasputin, but even she only figured that out because her name was all across so many Golden Age era logs. You though…well, you are certainly a special case, being so prominent that so many people know who you are, with so many of these people still alive. I...well, sympathise."

"Thank you. Hmm." The Doctor looked at Soulworker, noticing his appearence again. "Wait."

"Huh? Oh-what!"

Gently but quickly, the Doctor plucked Soulworker from the air, bringing the Ghost close to his face.

"Hoi! Let go!"

Ignoring his protests and struggles, the Doctor turned him over and around, examining the Ghost. On closer inspection, the Ghost's shell was a dark jade green, with white flowing lines etched in a careful symmetry across its many component tetrahedrons - but more curious, was the state of it. The shell was schuffed, dented or chipped - but the most prominent feature was just how worn out it looked - the paint fading, the surface rough, dull and old-looking.

As if it had been left to neglect.

Finally, Soulworker slipped out of the Doctor's large gloved hands, disappearing and reappearing a distance away.

"Just _what_ was that?!" the Ghost demanded, angrily.

"You don't look in good shape." the Doctor merely stated. "Do you, like, not repair yourself?"

"I can operate perfectly fine like this, _thank you_."

"Still, not doing proper maintenance on your parts...heh you seem a lot more neglectful than I thought."

"I _chose_ it to be this way, ok?"

"Why?" The Doctor pushed on, curious. "It's strange to leave your gear, much less your equipment, in such a state of disrepair."

"It's…." Soulworker looked away. "...it's a memorial."

 _To whom?_ The question sprang in the Doctor's mind, but before he could say it, he stopped, noticing his partner's discomfort. "I see." he relented, also looking the other way.

Silence reigned again in the cold darkness, with only the ambient noises of the great mobile megastructure - its vibrations, and the many devices buried in its metal body - giving any sort of noise to the world.

It didn't hold for long. The emptiness of the place planted yet another question in the Doctor's head.

"Soulworker." He called out.

"What is it?"

"So tell me, what do you think of Rhodes Island?"

"Just...another organization, I suppose." Soulworker replied

"Just another?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Soulworker hovered over to him again - albeit staying out of arm's reach. "Here's a question; how long do you think I have...lived?"

"I...probably a lot longer than me, if the legends of the Guardians are true." The Doctor replied.

"More than you can imagine." Soulworker replied. "There are so many people, so many groups, so many entities that have fought over Earth - or Terra - to improve its lot. Rhodes...fights for a specific cause, but when viewed in the grand lens of history, they aren't much different from the many factions I've seen over my lifetime."

"So its...all nothing new to you?"

"I suppose you could say that. Even helping the Infected isn't exactly unique, for you are fighting another organization that claims to be doing the same, after all." Soulworker made a sigh - or as close as a Ghost could make one.

"I take that to mean you don't have any attachments to Rhodes, then?"

"Obviously."

"Then…" The Doctor shifted uncomfortably on his pile of rubble. "...why did you revive me? I know the whole Guardian/Ghost relationship is something with a lot of mysticism, but-"

"Didn't we discuss this already?" Soulworker rolled his singular eye. "Well, first off, you fit right into the bill of a Guardian, and second, you ch-"

"Not me, _you_. Why did you choose...to intervene on my behalf?"

Soulworker stopped mid-sentence, and the both of them stared silently at each other for the next few moments.

"Why indeed…" Soulworker murmured-

_crack-crack-crack_

The both of them froze. A shuffling - the sound of boots moving against ground - could be heard, echoing ominously across the gloom. Quickly, the Doctor sprang to his feet, and Soulworker's torch swept across the entirety of the hall, as the Ghost attempted to find the source of the sound.

Soon, both their gazes settled upon an nearby entrance, a pipe like hole that was slowly filling with light.

"Is it the search party?" The Doctor whispered.

"I don't...wait, I'm sending a ping." Soulworker replied, just as quiet.

The light in the tunnel stopped moving.

"Biosigns stopped moving, and…" Soulworker tone grew worried. "They aren't responding to the ping."

The light in the tunnel began to shake.

"You might want that Originium shard." Soulworker advised. " _Now._ "

Quickly, the Doctor's hand plunged into his bag, feeling for the test tube -

\- when someone sprang out.

The Doctor saw an all-too-familiar gas mask, hands holding a large-barreled -

" _GET DOWN!"_

At Soulworker's warning, the Doctor dived to the side - just as the weapon popped. Quickly, the Doctor ran for a nearby piece of rubble, hands over his head -

_BOOM_

The entire lit up in a flash, and the Doctor felt chunks of _something_ rain down and hit his arms and body - thankfully protected by his massive coat.

Reacting quickly, the Doctor rummaged through his bag again, his hand finally closing around the familiar circular shape of the vial -

_She-Shuck_

The sound of a rotating loader was accompanied by a beam of light settling on his position.

_"Move!"_

Wasting no time, the Doctor pushed himself off the ground into a clumsy, adrenaline fueled dash. Behind him, the weapon popped again, followed by the loud explosion of the contact-fuzed grenade.

The force of the explosion hit him again, sending him tumbling into a crumpled heap, the vial dropping out of his hand. Spitting, he picked it up, looking around in the gloom, but the smoke and dim light made it impossible to see anything.

_She-Shuck_

The grenade launcher's loading mechanism sounded another warning. The Doctor scrambled to his feet, stumbling -

But the hostile light reached him first.

_puut_

The weapon fired again, and with no cover nearby, he made a dash of faith and leapt.

_BANG_

His ears popped as he hit the ground, right before a concussive force slammed him down harder. Before he could move, hot sharp knives raked his back, eliciting a scream from him.

_"I'm coming!"_

He could barely hear Soulworker shout, under the ringing of ears and the sheer pain in his body. Images flashed through his mind - faceless torturers, shards of originum stabbed into him -

After what seemed like an eternity, the Ghost reappeared, eye beaming with Light, and he gasped from the sudden reinvigoration.

"Maxwell! Listen-" the Ghost shouted, trying to get his attention. "MAXWELL!"

The last image - something forcefully injected into his arm - disappeared, returning the Doctor to full clarity. "Y-yes?"

"Listen-" the Ghost spoke hurriedly, looking back and forth between him and an approaching person - "-charge your hand with Arc Light, and throw it at someone. I'll find you a target!"

"Wait-"

"Trust me!" Soulworker cut him off, before disappearing.

Clutching the Originum vial in his right hand, the Doctor followed the Ghost's instructions, focusing on his hand. A static sensation spread down his other arm, right as unstable blue lightning began to crackle over his hand. Suddenly, a white blueish sphere exploded into life, its semi-solid shape barely staying stable within the confines of his hand.

Looking up, the Doctor spotted a dark, armoured figure - just as a light hit it, shining from Soulworker's eye.

Quickly, he flung the sphere, just before Soulworker disappeared into thin air again. The target, distracted by the Ghost, didn't have time to react to the gleaming sphere that hit him.

A cloud of smoke burst to life around him - right before multiple bolts of lightning materialised to strike him and the ground around.

He barely had time to scream before the overwhelming Arc energy blew him into his constitutent atoms.

A loud cry came from his comrades, and their torches swung left and right, looking for the Doctor. Not bothering to wait, he got up, breaking into a run.

_"Here!"_

Soulworker's shell flashed at another corner of the hall, behind a pile of more rubble. Jumping across it, the Doctor dived into the makeshift cover.

"Thank you-" the Doctor began.

"Don't thank me." Soulworker replied. "Storm Grenades are a bog standard Stormcaller trick, you would have learnt them...eventually. But you will probably not be able to make another for awhile...especially seeing how you just made the most inefficient Storm Grenade this side of the century."

"Oh." The Doctor flexed his fingers - and sure enough, no power manifested in response to his attempts.

Meanwhile, the beams of the enemy torches danced around, their bearers splitting about in search.

"By the Traveller, these Reunion punks are a crazed bunch." Soulworker commented. "How do they have time to chase us down? Shouldn't they be trying to flee the city already?!"

The Doctor, meanwhile, pondered for a moment. _Seems like they just happened to run into us. That's said, if they made the effort to come all the way down here, that means, there's probably a reason why..._

"It doesn't actually matter, Soulworker." The Doctor spoke. "We still have to take them down, anyways."

"What!?"

"They know about me." The Doctor grimly answered. "Not to mention the intel they gained on Lungmen and Rhodes…we have to deny them that knowledge."

He looked at Soulworker, with an grim expression that brooked no argument. "How many of them are there?"

"Oh, for…" Soulworker's shell spun as he conducted a scan. "Five biosigns. They are all spread out across the hall...look, you have no weapons, no training, and you just drained most of your Light in an overcharged grenade. I'm pretty sure you can see your chances aren't great."

"I can't die, so-"

"Hey! Reviving you isn't as easy as you think!" It took all his patience for Soulworker to not burst out in irritation. "If you go down, I have to find a right place to revive you, and not to mention how repairing and reviving your body would take time!"

"Well, we don't have much options." The Doctor deadpanned back.

"Still-"

"Wait."

Sure enough, while the beams of light were still aimed in his general direction, the Reunion fighters seemed to be trying to retreat, all too hastily.

Dropping the vial of originum in his pocket, the Doctor got to his arms, quickly crawling across the ground and away from the gazes of the torches, trying to get close to the nearest target.

_"Really-"_

"See if you can boost that beacon, because we definitely need more people down here fast. Otherwise...I'm going in first."

Marshalling his superhuman strength, the Doctor pushed off the ground, legs pounding forward, before launching himself at his target. Immedaitely they noticed him, and beams or light all began to illuminate him-

He crashed against an armoured shieldbearer. As the man yelled in surprise, the Doctor clambered messily around his shielded guard, going around to thrust an arm into his stomach.

From it, Arc energy smited the man, causing him to scream as weak lightning crawled across the man. After holding it there for a few seconds, the Doctor released him, allowing the man to fall down, paralyzed, while grabbing and ripping the shield out of his grasp. Quickly, he jumped over the incapicated shieldbearer, ducking behind one of the support pillars -

-just as he heard the loud _puut_ of another grenade launched. On instinct, he raised the shield in the firer's general direction -

_BANG_

Light and smoke washed over him - but the shock simply bounced over the hard metal shield, held in place by his Light-enhanced strength. The shield groaned with the impact, but held.

Immediately, he jumped out, running madly towards another target. Jumping over a pile of rubble, he threw a wild punch -

\- only for his arm to be caught by the other man. Undaunted, the Doctor, threw his shield away, bringing his other arm for a desperate swing, but the other man caught it anyway. Yelling, both men grappled madly, the Reunion lineman barely keeping the Doctor in check. Eyes filled with panic, the other man swung his leg, kicking the Doctor in the crotch.

Pain exploded between the Doctor's legs, the light doing nothing to numb it, and he let go, reeling. Quickly, the Reunion lineman grabbed his weapon again, swinging the blunt instrument at him. The vicious blow sent the Doctor flying, causing him to land haphazardly on the ground.

The Doctor tried to get up, only for his opponent to pin him to the ground. Before he could respond, a knife flashed in his enemy's hand, and -

"GAAK-"

Another man gasped from the other side of the room, causing his opponent to flinch. Taking advantage, the Doctor punched up, before using his strength to tip the man off him. As the man yelled in shock, the Doctor raised a Light-charged arm, bringing it down to shock his opponent into unconsciousness.

"Doctor!" A familiar shout could be heard, followed by a grunt.

 _Ace!_ Getting a grip, the Doctor scrambled to his feet. "I'm here! Where's-"

"Doc! Get away from here!" The man shouted between grunts. "Saria and the rest are coming down, so -"

From his distance, the Doctor spotted two other shadows rushing towards his subordinate. "Ace, watch out!"

The man didn't need much warning, tackling the others with trained finesse. As the Doctor began to run towards him, Ace quickly kneecapped one man with his hammer and knocked out the other with a swift reverse swipe -

The Reunion Leader followed up his own men's attacks by swinging a large knife in an overhead slice. Undaunted, Ace simply blocked with his shield, before making a return swerve, grazing his enemy with the hammer's edge and forcing him back.

Undaunted, Ace stepped forth, attacking _hard_. The Reunion leader retreated back, fumbling with his left, before quickly stabbing forth with his knife.

Ace caught it full in the shield - but at the same time, his opponent lobbed forth an object at his feet.

"Watch ou-"

The Doctor yelled in surprise, but the Reunion leader quickly jumped back, pressing something.

_BOOM_

Ace disappeared in an explosion. The Doctor stopped, shocked, while debris and what not fell on him. Meanwhile, Reunion leader continued scrambling away, legs pounding against the ground-

"-GAAK-"

And the next thing the Doctor knew, he was upon his enemy, lifting him into the air with a single hand. Without hesitation, the Doctor hurled him at the nearest pillar, causing the Reunion leader to bounce off it and land with a loud crack.

While his enemy groaned on the ground, he ran over to the smoke cloud, shouting, "Ace? Ace!"

But no trace of him could be found. Soulworker reappeared, activating his torch - only to deactivate it immediately.

"By the Traveller…" Soulworker hissed.

"Nothing…?" The Doctor asked, a cold feeling entering his stomach.

"...nothing." Soulworker replied. "Just...his gear."

The Doctor blinked.

_"When I say we need you, Doctor, we truly mean it. For a brighter future, if I may. And trust me, all of us, we will do whatever it takes to bring it."_

The Doctor closed his eyes, a growing sensation of emptiness growing within his chest. Without a word, he turned on his heel and walked back towards the Reunion leader. The man here had taken off his gas mask, spitting and coughing.

Without hesitation, the Doctor grabbed him by his collar again, dragging him up to see his face.

Soulworker turned on his torch, revealing a white-haired, slightly jaundiced Ursus youth, with a large number of small crystal growths poking out of his face and blood leaking from his mouth. Noticing the man's features', the Doctor paused.

"Misha?" Soulworker began, confused.

The youth spat again, rolling his eyes to stare at them both. "So, Rhodes has a twice-cursed Lightbearer. How much did Rhodes pay you to murder some innocents, eh?."

"I have no time for your nonsense." The Doctor started, his voice dangerously quiet. "Answer my questions, or I will _make_ you."

"Screw off." the enemy leader answered back.

_"Maxwell. Maxwell Maxwell Maxwell." Tied up, blindfolded and gagged, he heard someone speak to him._

As yet another faint vision hit him, the Doctor clenched his fist. Lightning gathered, before striking his captive across his whole body, causing him to grunt and shake.

"You think - _*hack*_ \- that's anything?" The youth jeered. "I suffered worse, you worthless walking corp-"

"Maxwell, wait-" Soulworker started-

Arc Energy crackled all over the person a second time, glowing in intensity before shutting off again, before the Doctor dropped him on the ground.. The youth gagged and spat on the ground - only to look back up with a murderous defiance.

_A singsong voice spoke to him, "I hope you do realize you are dealing with desperate people - people at the end of their tether with nothing left to lose. The mentality ingrained in them makes them so rabid that they are impossible to reason with. They won't bend to you, no matter how much pressure, how much force you apply to them."_

"Are you done?" The Doctor asked, his voice disturbingly still.

The youth spat again. "I'm Skullshatterer, a Reunion Captain, and this I swear, you will not get anything out of me! Electrocute me, burn me, but I will remain silent - for I _serve_ the Infected, while you are mere sellouts to our murderers!" He sneered. "You can live like a dog, but I will die _righteous_."

The Doctor twitched, as the memory returned.

_While he shook in his chair, the voice continued, "But they do have a weakness. One, last, 'Achilles Heel', as those Lightbearers say. Their fellow madmen, their so-called comrades in thick and thin."_

"Very well then."

The Doctor suddenly stood up, turning around, scanning the area behind him. Before long, he walked off, walking towards a not-yet-dead person on the ground.

_He was biting, trying to free himself of his gag, to no avail. "So, Maxwell, you poor little fool, allow me to demonstrate..."_

The injured person - who the Doctor recognized as the one Ace had kneecapped - was groaning on the ground, mask off to catch more breath. Without hesitation, the Doctor reached down, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him across the rubble ridden floor. Even though the man cried out in pain, the Doctor ignored him.

"Maxwell." Soulworker reappeared in front of him. "Look, I know that you've just lost-"

"We are simply preparing for the next battle." The Doctor replied, his voice level and professional - but its tone unrecognizable. Soulworker flinched, feeling a chill in its very difference. "Besides, given they know...they are as good as dead."

" _...I'm going to bring in your honor guard one by one, and if you want them to continue unharmed, you will answer my questions as accurately as possible. Now, I know how much you cherish these people, so shall we make things easier for all parties involved with your cooperation? Everyone would appreciate it." The gag was removed from his mouth, but the blindfold remained on._

"This isn't the end of Reunion's engagement with Lungmen - or us." The Doctor continued, his voice turning bitter. "So, at the very least - we need to _learn more about them_ , if we are to not fail again."

"Maxwell…"

The Doctor walked on, his captive making weak protests as his body was pulled roughly along the rubbled-ridden ground. Skullshatterer spotted him again - but this time, his eyes widened.

"...Anton?" the young Reunion leader whispered, before whipping his head at the Doctor. "What the _fuck_ do you think you are doing?" he growled, albeit too weak to fight.

"If you have the energy to talk, you have the energy to answer my questions." The Doctor's voice turned cold and emotionless once again, pulling his captive up in front of him and presenting him to Skullshatterer. "You can hold your tongue, however - at the cost of your f-"

"You bitch!" Skullshatterer hurled another insult, squirming on the ground as his broken body failed to muster the strength for an attack. "You will go to hell for this!"

"Answer me; what was your objective for this attack?" The Doctor continued.

"You…" Skullshatterer's face contorted, shock and rage twisting his features.

"5. 4. 3. 2 -"

"It was to sabotage Lungmen!" The youth screamed, just before the Doctor finished his countdown. "We were to sabotage the shield generators, and retrieve our agents from Lungmen!"

"For what purpose?" The Doctor continued.

Skullshatterer didn't reply immediately, instead trying to clamp his mouth shut.

Meanwhile, the man in the Doctor's hand seem to have become lucid. "Skull...shatterer…" he whispered. "Do...n't…"

The Doctor paused, looking at his captive - just as an image of Ace flashed in his vision. His grip hardened, and he continued. "5. 4. 3…"

Under Soulworker's glowing light, uncontrollable tears seemed to bead on the youth's dirtied cheeks, even as his face remained contorted with rage.

"2...1…"

Soulworker looked away, just as the air filled with ozone and light.


	18. Chapter 3 - 8

_"On one terrible night  
_ _A crystal man came  
_ _The adults saw him  
_ _And quickly ran away_

 _The children gathered  
_ _but saw his arms  
_ _Covered in crystals  
_ _And ran away too_

 _But young Timmy  
_ _Got a little curious  
_ _And took a black crystal  
_ _From the crystal man_

 _Now young Timmy  
_ _Must leave his home  
_ _Because the crystal  
_ _Makes him another crystal man"_

_\- Old children's rhyme, possibly from the Dark Age_

==| Chapter 3 - 8 |==

Of the squad, Saria was the first to reach the Doctor's position.

Rounding the tunnel with her shield and syringe in hand, she paused, before swerving into sight of the hall. Shehad expected a fight, or worse still, a hostage situation with an injured Dr. Maxwell -

But instead, the found the good Doctor sitting alone on a slab of rubble, idling in the darkness. Confused, Saria looked around, but found no trace of anyone but the Doctor, save a few bodies on the ground.

_What...happened?_

Something flashed around the Doctor, causing her to look back at him. Even behind the green glow of her night-vision goggles, she felt something off in the way he sat alone on the slab, cradling Ace's warhammer and shield in his lap.

 _Did he...dispatch all of them?_ She thought.

"Dr. Maxwell?" She called out.

The man quivered, before standing up, turning towards her. In the darkness, his face was hidden under the cover of his hood.

"What happened?" Saria asked.

"I've caught the Reunion ringleader and his escort down here." The Doctor began to speak, still holding the hammer and shield. "They...did not survive the encounter."

"I...see…" Saria answered, a chill running down her spine. "But...how did you manage to fight them off?"

The Doctor was silent.

"...I suppose that's one of your secrets then." Saria continued, thinking of the conversation several days back. However, she kept her shield at the ready, warily watching the man from behind her goggles.

"Yes." The Doctor replied, solemn. "I'm sorry."

Saria nodded, before slowly relaxing. "Then...what about Operator Ace?" She said, looking at the weapons in the Doctor's hand - and expecting the worst.

"Ace...unfortunately, he…"

Before the Doctor could continue, his body slumped - as if a great weariness hit him, one that the scientist recognised to be of the mental kind.

_Ah. Another loss._

Looking at the destruction, and the - seemingly - stoic man in front of her, Saria muttered a Columbian epithet for the dead. "I understand." She continued afterwards. "His...corpse? We need to bring it back for processing…"

"Vaporized." The Doctor simply answered. "He took an explosive, point blank."

"...my condolences." Saria answered, walking forward. Hesitantly, she raised a hand, and gingerly placed it on the man's shoulder. "We should have...gotten here sooner."

She had expected him to flinch.

Instead, the man shuddered with her touch, even if his voice remained perfectly level. "It's not your responsibility, in any case, it's...has always been mine."

Paradoxically, the man's gloved hand rose to gently brush her hand away. Without a word, the Doctor walked past her, his helmed visor pointing downwards in dejection as he slowly moved away.

Staring at his retreating back, weapons held at his side, a phrase came to Saria's mind.

" _And he will swing his blade, bloodied by a thousand battles, and cleave a million souls asunder...but by utter violence, he shall bring salvation for us all._ " she whispered.

==|==

Misha looked around, at the LGD officers and the Rhodes Islanders that protected her, in a formation so tight that if she had not been riding on Blaze's back, she most likely might have suffocated under all that armour.

They were walking briskly, having exited the combat zone, now making their way through a zone of far more ordered buildings, buildings both tall and clean that it seemed she had stepped past some unseen portal.

Blaze was currently speaking to a green-haired woman from the LGD's side, yet despite hearing all of them clearly, Misha couldn't really process what they were saying, save it was yet more rhetoric about the Infected and Lungmen - two things she found herself caring less and less as the adrenaline running through her finally dissipated and she felt a great exhaustion overwhelm her.

 _It's all so tiring,_ she whispered to herself. _Why? Why do I have to go through all of this?_

Finally, they arrived at a cordon, where a host of police and medical vehicles was waiting along the road, right next to the all too familiar sign of 'refugee camp'. She looked up, trying to look past the reddish-blue haze of lights that lit up the whole place.

It had been attacked recently, and as such there were still the marks of fighting. Amidst the rubble and mess, bodies still lay, while first responders in multi-coloured uniforms attempted to retrieve them. Some bodies were unceremiously loaded into bodybags, while others were carefully placed into waiting stretchers before being driven into one of the many waiting ambulances.

Some were unluckier. At the corner of her eye, she spotted one more person dragged to his feet - not by paramedics, but by a pair of burly armoured officers. Without hesitation, they slapped a pair of handcuffs on him, before pushing him onward towards a van - and the captive simply slumped forward, lost all will to fight.

Blaze turned around, causing Misha to look back at the refugee holding area - or what left of it. It had been breached and overrun, and in the midst of the broken barricades, the refugees cowered in groups, as a few LGD officers ran about, holding scanners in their hands as they tried to account for everyone in the area. The sounds - of quiet frightened sobbing, of angry overstressed people lashing out and frustrated, overworked police - all blended together into a depressing, low hubbub.

"You know, these people just got frightened out of their wits by Reunion, and yet, you guys are still subjecting them to profiling?" In the midst of her observations, Misha heard Blaze bristle.

"I'm sorry, Miss Blaze," the green-haired woman answered, "But with how badly Reunion tore up the cordon, and our slow response, we have to ensure that all the refugees are accounted for. We can't afford another sleeper agent hiding in Lungmen."

"What, are all Infected sleeper agents for Reunion?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that. But please do realize that we have to be cautious, considering that the high level of Reunion infiltration allowed this to happen."

"...no offense taken."

Misha continued to look around. Further out, she could see the silhouettes of civilians looking, peering at the whole warzone. Some of them held phones, cameras, taping and recording the entirety of her fellow Infected…

 _From the other side of the barrier._ Misha noted, almost bitterly. _A different world. Our world and theirs…that only meets when war comes to their doorsteps. But one none of us can cross..._

"Inspector Hoshiguma, just to get this clear...Infected that stay here for a long time aren't considered Lungmenites either, are they?"

"Officially, they have a special residency status, but…"

"...they aren't considered citizens of Lungmen, am I right?"

"I'm afraid so. There's been...a lot of pushback against the legitimizing of Infected. In fact, I believe there were protests against your - Rhodes - presence here."

"Typical…"

Misha's mind wandered to the past.

 _"Misha! You don't understand - this, this oppression will continue! It's not just something within Ursus, this hatred towards the Infected has been there since_ forever. _There's some sacred texts I've found, digging through Pa's books - they speak of war, of the struggle for_ existence, _where the right to live only is given to the strong. And that's it! As the condemned Infected, we must take from them, the non-Infected! We have to tear them all down just so we can live! There cannot be reconciliation - and that's why Reunion is doing the right thing!"_

She shed a tear, before quickly wiping it away with her hand.

_Alex...I hope, I hope you didn't hurt anyone innocent, no matter where you are…even though I can't accept those words…_

"Misha? Are you ok?" Blaze asked.

"I'm...I'm fine." Misha replied. "Actually, I should get off you now…"

"Are you sure?" Blaze asked. "I can keep holding you for a while longer…"

"Y-yes." The girl insisted.

"Alright." Gently, Blaze knelt down, allowing Misha to climb off her. The Ursus girl wobbled a little as her weak leg touched the ground, but remained standing. She looked around, but the green-haired Inspector seemed to have left when she wasn't looking.

"Thank you, Miss Blaze."

"Just my job." The woman made a friendly smile with the expression. "Actually, why don't you find a place to sit? It seems like the LGD is still trying to sort you out…"

"Um, Miss Blaze?" Misha asked first. "A question?"

"What is it?"

"Um…" Misha started, before feeling a little embarrassed. "How...does Rhodes Island keep going?"

"Eh?" Blaze looked a little confused. "I'm sorry, what do you mean?"

"This...this oppression of the Infected." Misha shuddered, the weight of her memories pressing upon her. "I never...understood how the Infected felt before I became Infected myself when Chernobog fell...but now...seeing how those who aren't Infected treat us, what Ursus does...even what happens here...how can you keep going, hated by both Reunion and the rest of the world?"

"...How?" Blaze put a finger to her chin, the innate energy of her friendliness fading away. "It's hard. Definitely. And what Reunion does - it's hard to deny them, because deep down...we feel the same way. I've seen...a lot of people come and go. Lost a lot of them in fact...and the fact that we are hurting the people we should be helping doesn't help."

Misha remained silent, staring wide-eyed at the sudden fragility of her erstwhile protector.

"But!" Blaze cried out, startling a nearby policeman. Slamming a gloved fist into a palm, she continued, "I cannot stand by and let all this happen. If the actions of other Infected will hurt others, we have a duty to stop them. Aside from our illness, there is no difference between un-Infected or Infected…all of us deserve life."

"I see…" Misha replied, feeling warmed by the large woman's words.

For a moment, Blaze looked away. "Well...that's what I tell myself. Truth is...we all need some sort of thing to keep us going...a light to hold on in the darkness, I suppose. For me, as an Infected...my friends in Rhodes - our mission - is what keeps me going."

Misha nodded, thinking of her long-departed brother. _If only...I could have said that to him…._

_Oh, brother, where are you. I hope...I hope, wherever you are, you are doing well..._

From nearby, a pair of armoured officers walked up to Blaze. "Excuse me," One of them spoke with a thick Lungmenite accent, "We have to bring in the girl now. Sorry."

"Alright." Blaze nodded to them. "Looks like it's time to say goodbye."

"Actually…" Misha realised something. "Could you...could you make sure that the kids that I was taking care of are safe? T-they are with a man called Mr. Zichiry-"

"I see," Blaze nodded. "Anything else?"

"Um...is it possible to join Rhodes?"

Blaze looked taken aback by Misha's question. "Eh, actually nevermind, forget that I said an-" Misha said, blushing.

"Ahahahaha!" Blaze suddenly laughed, driving Misha's embarrassment in further. "Eh, was my speech that good? No worries!" She put two hands on Misha. "Perhaps, once the LGD are done with you, we can send you a recruitment letter. Who knows."

"Hey, officer!" Turning back to the policemen, Blaze began to speak to them. "Take very good care of her, will you? She's not exactly well right now."

One of them nodded.

"Alright, be seeing you, Misha."

"See you...Ms Blaze. And thanks for saving me."

The two officers moved forward, leading Misha away from Blaze and away to an armoured van, its back doors open.

As she got into the waiting van, Misha took one last look at Blaze's tall, domineering form, admiring the woman's innate strength.

But right now, she was looking away from her, standing very still.

==|==

The Doctor stumbled into the light like a dead man walking.

Saria, upon seeing his state, had requested - gently, but firmly - that he head upside. Behind him, she and the rest of the team silently escorted him, making the long trip back to the surface.

Meanwhile, already a large group of people had arrived. Civil engineers, paramedics and police units surrounded the area, the latter setting up a large cordon while the former rushing to attend to the reactor complex. A large plume of black smoke was rising in the distance, presumably from an access shaft.

"Just...how many casualties?" The Doctor said, turning around..

"Not many, actually." Saria answered. "The damage was actually contained in the main reactor vault. The few injuries we had were from those who got too close to...the 'Arc containment cells'? I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with Guardian technology."

"You can think of them as release valves." Glaucus explained. "They are meant to direct excess energy for safety purposes...but perhaps the catastrophic shutdown of the reactor was too much to handle."

Saria looked at Glaucus curiously. "I...see. You seem like you have experience with them."

"Some." The smaller woman replied.

Nodding, Saria looked away in silence and the group trudged on. A distance away one of Rhodes' helicopters swooped in for a landing, its crew opening its bay doors as it slowly touched down.

The Doctor looked down at things he held in his hands. The stained hammer and shield felt inexorably heavy in his hands, despite them being made out of advanced lightweight materials.

_"As for you...not trying to put you on a pedestal...but you are one of the best we ever had. When I say we need you, Doctor, we truly mean it. For a brighter future, if I may. And trust me, all of us, we will do whatever it takes to bring it."_

A feeling of grief rose up within him, for a man he had barely known for a few hours, let a day.

Was it because Ace had some connection to his past? Perhaps he was feeling as such because of some suppressed or lost memory, his internal self hurt by the lost of someone so important?

And yet, the Doctor felt - in the sense one could be certain even without scientific proof - that it was not because of his forgotten past. The man had, even for a few fleeting hours, had given his heart, and eventually life, for this grand cause…

...a grand cause that he was once central in, but now he himself was unsure of his own place.

_The cause of the Infected..._

His thoughts went back to the other body in that pit, the one he had charred with severe prejudice, the body of a man who died howling curses and hate, just like he had done in life.

And yet, that photo of two suspiciously familiar Ursus…

Whatever hatred he had against that Reunion ringleader seemed to have suddenly fizzled out. Searching his feelings, all he could feel - was an overwhelming sadness.

_Amiya - or someone - said this was a tragedy. The lost, the death from all this...it truly is, indeed. No one needed to die, and yet...I had to kill him anyways. Would that girl understand?_

_Would the old me - the old Maxwell know that answer? Or would he not have cared? There's had to be something to be done…_

He turned around again.

"Saria, could you help me try to reach the LGD Superintendent?" The Doctor asked.

"Why's that?" The scientist asked.

"I need to know...if there's anything Rhodes can do as of this moment to support."

Saria raised one hand to her headset, repeating the Doctor's question. After a few moments, she nodded, before shaking her head. "The Superintendent says that Lungmen will handle its own side of the problem. The forces down with the refugees are sufficient as of this moment."

"I see," the Doctor pressed on, "but perhaps the LGD would still need help suppressin-"

"Dr. Maxwell." Saria interrupted. "I understand how you are feeling right now. And my advice is, that now would be the time to retire and rest. This is...Lungmen's issue now."

The Doctor's glove gripped tightly around the hammer's grip.

"Besides…you have a friend to bury."

He closed his eyes. "I understand," said the Doctor. "Thank you for the advice."

 _Even if I'm lost...I suppose...there's only the way forward_. _I must honor Ace's sacrifice...and that of the people who are pushing me forward._

==|==

Amiya walked through the refugee area, looking and helping with them. Already, the buses had shown up to take them back to their temporary homes, although many were still confused or exhausted that they needed help making their way through the morass of people.

In the middle of the crowds, a child was crying, alone.

Quickly, Amiya approached the lost child. "Hi there," she began, "What's your name-"

Before the boy could even acknowledge her, a hand swooped in and grabbed him by the arm. Amiya looked up, and watched as a woman pulled him away, fixing Amiya with a terrified look.

"...ah."

Amiya got up, looking at the retreating backs of mother and son, right before getting into a chaotic queue for one of the buses.

"Ms. Amiya."

A voice called out. Amiya turned around, spotting a Vulpo about the same height as her, holding a staff topped with a yellow canister walking towards her.

"Oh, Sussurro. How is the treatment of the refugees going?" Amiya asked.

Sussurro stopped in front of her, her fox ears bouncing as she did. "We've treated most of their injuries, and some of their minor illnesses. But for specialized treatment…" she made a sniff, looking at a nearby LGD officer. "We can't do that, especially when they are pressing us to bus the refugees back to their camps."

"It _was_ the agreement, after all…" Amiya sighed. "Just do what you can...do you need further assistance?"

"Ms. Shining thinks that the manpower is sufficient." Sussurro continued. "But Ms. Amiya...perhaps you should rest. I've been seeing you work with the refugees for hours already…"

"It's fine...they do still need help-"

"You've been active for a long time already." Sussurro insisted. "Over-exertion is not healthy, especially with your...advanced Oripathy. Please rest."

"Alright. Thank you."

Amiya nodded to the medic, before making her way off the field, walking back towards the morass of police and civil vehicles scattered along the nearby road. An orange glow began to illuminate the whole scene, as the sun overhead began to set.

She looked around for Blaze - but as expected, she could not find any sign of her friend.

_Ace…_

The grizzled veteran that she had grown familiar with...was now gone. Even though she had felt loss many times, she could never banish the sadness, the absence of feeling that came with each fallen soul.

_If this is what I'm feeling, then...Blaze must be devastated. She's...the last of the team. All her 'brothers' and 'sisters' all died trying to save the Doctor...and fate's taken Ace as well._

Amiya walked on, aimlessly.

And found a strange sight.

The LGD's Superintendent was sitting at a bus stop, all alone, watching the refugees intently with nary an emotion on her face. Even as Amiya approached her, Superintendent Chen didn't notice her presence - or more likely, ignored her completely.

Amiya sat on the bench next to the older woman.

For a few moments, none of them said anything, simply watching the holding area from afar as the sun slowly descended.

Finally, the Superintendent spoke. "I heard about your fatality. You have my condolences."

"Ah…" Amiya started a little. "Thank you, Superintendent."

"If it's not in formal situations, just call me Chen." the woman shifted her stance, resting her left elbow on her knee and her head on her hand.

"Alright, Miss Chen. May I ask…" Amiya felt a little nervous, in the presence of the serious, more senior woman. "...if the LGD has sustained any casualties?"

"Definitely. Some serious, but…" Chen paused for a moment. "Thanks to the help of your healers, no fatalities."

"You are welcome." Amiya smiled. "I'll pass on your gratitude to them."

"Hmmm."

They lapsed into awkward silence.

"Ah well...though...even with the problems," Amiya said, keeping on the smile, "At least the cooperation hasn't been going too badly."

"...I suppose. At least damage to Lungmen or its citizens has been limited, and the main Reunion threat to Lungmen has been neutralized - for now. The reactor and the defense shields...well, those are the Departments' problems now, not ours."

Amiya nodded heavily, causing Chen to shoot her a look.

"You don't seem confident in your organization's decisions." Chen stated.

"Well…" Amiya began, but couldn't exactly put what was on her mind into words.

"...Then again, I can't blame you." Chen said, sighing as she looked away. "To be so young, and in charge of such a large organization...perhaps Rhodes had its reasons for choosing you, but regardless, I don't envy you. The decision must have been hard to make."

_The decision must have been hard to make._

"Miss Chen, if there's one thing that has been hard, it would be the fact that we are forced to act against our fellow Infected. Rhodes...isn't a mercenary company, it's a pharmaceutical company...but for the sake of peace, security and the legitimization of us...we take up arms nonetheless."

"But it's not really the 'right' thing, even if it's the 'best' thing." Chen replied. "Because you have to do it, against your organization's purpose."

"Yes" it was Amiya's turn to sigh. "Miss Chen, there isn't...any sort of 'expert opinion' on what's the right thing to do, is there?"

"You sound like you aren't expecting a positive answer;" Chen began, "And you are right; there isn't. And there can never be, considering the chaotic nature of our world, I suppose. There will always be upsides and downsides to every choice, and what you predict may not be the case."

"But in the end," Chen continued, "as leaders, we have to own the decisions we make, even no matter the outcome. And to that end, we cannot lose sight of our goal. No matter how terrible the decision, we have to at least ensure that we are fighting for something greater."

In the distance, the last remaining refugees were being arranged into the buses, which now looked full till bursting with people. Already, all sights of their presence - the barricades, medical posts - were being removed, swept clean.

"Superintendent."

"Hmm?"

"Please don't take this as an insult...but from what I see, you are rather harsh on the Infected."

"...so as it would seem." The older woman wasn't looking at her. "But I hope you do realize that we are, very much, in a tight spot with Reunion and the Ursus Empire."

"Still, why do you have such a stance? And I'm not talking about Lungmen..."

There was merely silence between either of them. For a few moments, neither spoke, the question hanging in the air.

"I am the Superintendent of the LGD." Chen finally began, looking away from Amiya. "Lungmen demands a certain stance from whoever occupies that office, and if I am to achieve my goal...I must abide by that stance as closely as I can, to fulfill my duty as carefully as possible. That...goes for the whole LGD as well, in fact. I will admit that my...personal agenda...is a thing, but in the end, if I am to fulfill both my role and my wishes, it stands that I remain a dutiful servant of Lungmen."

As her older counterpart spoke, Amiya could feel a strong feeling within her. But it wasn't one of pride.

It was a bottled-up anger; a caged, wrathful dragon, created by sins made long ago.

"Even if you disagree with what Lungmen wants you to do?"

"I can say many things, but I'm still bound by Lungmen's will." Chen finally turned to Amiya again. "In some way, like you said - the 'best' choice, but not the 'right' choice. But what the government says, I must execute, as I am a civil servant of Lungmen." She continued. "The chains of command can grip so tightly to the point that one's skin tears under their pressure. I hope...that for Rhodes, you yourself will never have to feel them...even if you struggle right now with your own decisions.."

Amiya thought of someone else, an all-too-familiar hooded figure with a hidden face. "Have you...told anyone other than me?"

"What use would it be?"

"Because…" Amiya hesitated for a moment. "Your pain, it's so very bright, with nowhere to go."

Silence. Again.

"Perhaps." Chen finally said, hand tightening on the hilt of her sword. "Amiya, do you know...there's one thing that separates you from all of us?"

"What is it?"

"You...don't have the past weighing down on you when you make your choices."

"Ah…"

Amiya tried to respond, but no rebuttal came to her tongue.

Seeing she had nothing to say, the LGD Superintendent stood up, turned on her heel, walking off without another word.

==|==

As the transport headed back to the Ark, a lone specter lay in his thoughts.

Invisible to the rest, Soulworker sat on the Doctor's right shoulder, only adjusting as the helicopter shivered when it turned. From the door, he could see the wide landscape of Lungmen, the shining towers of its wealth glinting in the warm golden light.

_Come to think of it, Lungmen is one of the few cities that you can see skyscrapers in. The economic costs and technological research is actually no mean feat - it might be a sign that humanity is finally getting back on its feet after the Collapse._

He thought of the eternal home, and almost snorted. _The Last Safe City is just one city. And the less said of the Reef after Uldren Sov's little rampage the better. Mercedes once said that the future of humanity was past the Last City's walls…_

The thoughts came dragging back to his current partner. While shrouded, Soulworker rose to turn towards Maxwell, analyzing him with his one eye.

_Dr. Saria's little dirge...that sounds too much like the stuff of the Books of Sorrow. Where did she get that from?_

He looked at Maxwell again.

 _She's not making some sort of prophecy about_ him _, right?_

He sighed - as much as a robot could. _To be honest...I can't really say I give a shit. It's probably some Dark Age nonsense that somehow managed to survive all these years. The Dark Ages were full of that sort of thing, after all. Warlords, monsters...you name it, the Dark Age had them._

His mind flashed back to that moment underground. The screaming face of the Reunion leader...and Maxwell's words.

_"Why did you choose...to intervene on my behalf?"_

_That's right. I could have just left him to die in that cell. But I didn't. Why indeed? So many years, so many people...but this guy made me stop and give him the gift of the Light._

Soulworker made a quiet little snort. _Well, in any case it's actually easier for me. I now have a large body of Originum research to make use...and the Ark being an underdeveloped landship with many spaces does allow me to hide certain things._

_Still, was it the right choice?_

A memory came to him.

_He was running - or more accurately, flying. No hail of bullets or targeting missile chased him, no, something more terrifying - a pair of angry robotic voices, demanding his pres-_

Soulworker shook off the thought in anger. _NO. It will not be the same. I will never, never, find myself in that dreadful situation, ever again._

_Besides, if...if it all goes wrong, I can leave him._

_I can leave him._

_I'll...definitely...make sure of it._

_Definitely._

The Ghost's thoughts settled into a fitful peace.

Meanwhile, the helicopter came into sight of the Ark, just as the sun began to dip below the horizon.

==| Chapter 3 End |==

==| End of Book One |==

**Author's Note:**

> Crossposted from Spacebattles Forums/FFN:   
> https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/beneath-the-travelers-shadow-destiny-arknights.829731/  
> https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13559741/1/Beneath-the-Traveler-s-Shadow


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